JP3546272B2 - Barcode label - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial applications]
The present invention relates to a barcode label.
[0002]
[Prior art and its problems]
In the automation of production, which is currently performed while managing various data using a computer, the production-related data of each individual product is read at the necessary points in the manufacturing process, and the progress of production, etc., is accurately grasped. There is a need. As an accurate and easy data input means to achieve such purpose, a bar code label printed with black ink on a white background material is attached to the product and recognition of the product is carried out in various fields. Have been. That is, for example, a bar code label is attached to a material or a product, or a case or container for accommodating the same, a difference between reflected light from a white background portion and a black portion of the bar code is read, and based on information contained therein. Therefore, the progress of production is grasped, products of different specifications are mixed, and parallel production (high-mix low-volume production) is performed, and the production plan is appropriately changed.
[0003]
Conventionally, barcode labels have been mainly made of paper, plastic, etc., but under severe operating environments where they are exposed to high temperatures or corrosive atmospheres or subjected to strong impact forces. The material cannot be used. Therefore, as a barcode label that can be used even in such a severe environment, a barcode pattern made of a ceramic-based ink material printed on a ceramic substrate and fired has been developed and put into practical use.
[0004]
However, it has been found that there is a use environment that cannot be dealt with by such a ceramic bar code label. For example, in the case of a metal product, a method in which a material heated to about 500 to 1000 ° C. is poured into water, oil, or the like near room temperature, quenched, quenched, and the physical properties are improved has been widely adopted. I have. At this time, in a conventional ceramic bar code label that employs a printing technique, thermal shock may cause damage or elution of a printed layer on a substrate, resulting in loss of information or occurrence of erroneous information. Further, sand blasting for removing stains on the surface of a metal product is generally performed, but also in this case, information is lost or erroneous information occurs due to the removal of the print layer.
[0005]
In addition, for example, during a periodic inspection of an aircraft engine, parts are washed in a high-concentration alkaline cleaning solution of several hundred degrees in order to remove sludge attached to disassembled parts. Further, a mold for molding a glass product such as a cathode ray tube is also cleaned with a similar high-temperature alkaline cleaning liquid in order to remove dirt attached to the surface during use. Under such severe washing conditions, the printed layer forming the bar code is dissolved and removed.
[0006]
Furthermore, in the step of cleaning a semiconductor with a chemical, contamination by the barcode label itself may be a problem. This contamination is not caused by the barcode substrate itself, but is often caused by heavy metal ions contained in the ink material constituting the barcode pattern, or caused by falling off of the barcode pattern printing layer.
[0007]
For this reason, in some fields, it is not possible to use a barcode to automate inspection by computer management, computer management of molds, and the like.
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a barcode label that can be used under extremely severe conditions such as a high temperature, a corrosive atmosphere, and a corrosive solution.
[0009]
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a barcode label having a new configuration that can eliminate the adverse effects of a barcode formed by a printing layer.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present inventor has conducted intensive studies in view of the state of the art as described above, and as a result, when forming a barcode directly on a material substrate constituting a barcode label, the problems of the prior art are greatly reduced. Or is substantially eliminated.
[0011]
That is, the present invention provides the following barcode labels;
1. A barcode label comprising a barcode comprising a single material and comprising a low reflectance portion and a high reflectance portion, wherein the barcode label satisfies the following conditions;
(A) the reflectivity in the normal direction of the high reflectance portion and _{R 1, R 1 ≧ 10%} ............... when the reflectance of the normal to 60 degrees inclined direction is R ₂ ( 1)
_{R 2 / R 1 ≧ 0.2 ......} (2)
(B) the reflectivity in the normal direction in the low reflectivity portion and R _3, the reflectance of the normal to 60 degrees inclined direction when the _{R 4 R 4 / R 3 ≦} 0.1 ...... (3)
2. Item 2. The barcode label according to Item 1, wherein the label material is made of metal, ceramics or plastics, and at least one of the high reflectance portion and the low reflectance portion is formed by processing the material surface.
[0012]
3. A slit type bar code label having a bar code constituted by a slit portion and a non-slit portion formed in the label material, the reflectivity in the normal direction in the non-slit portion and R _5, the normal slit type bar code label, characterized in that the reflectance of the 60-degree inclined direction when the R _6, satisfying the following conditions:
R ₅ ≧ 10% (4)
R ₆ / R ₅ ≧ 0.2 (5)
4. In the slit portion formed in the label material, the thickness of the label stock is T, the width of the surface side of the slit and W _1, when the width of the rear surface side of the slit was W _2, satisfying the following conditions Item 3. The slit-type barcode label according to Item 3 above;
W ₂ > 0.4W ₁ + 0.73T (6)
2W ₁ > W ₂ > W ₁ (7)
T <2.2W ₁ (8)
5. Item 5. The slit type barcode label according to the above item 3 or 4, wherein a reflector having a higher reflectance than the non-slit portion is arranged at an angle of 10 degrees or more with respect to the barcode label on the back side of the barcode label.
[0013]
6. Item 5. The slit-type barcode label according to item 3 or 4, wherein a light absorbing plate having a lower reflectance than the non-slit portion is disposed on the back side of the barcode label.
[0014]
7. Item 7. The slit type barcode label according to Item 6, wherein the light absorbing plate has a reflectance in a normal direction of 10% or less.
[0015]
In the present invention, the portion corresponding to the bar code pattern of the label material is removed by dissolving or punching in a slit shape or etching the label material, cutting, electrolytic processing, pressing, molding, casting, Processing by means of plating, sandblasting, oxidation, laser processing, etc., forms portions with different reflectivities on the material surface in a shape corresponding to the bar code pattern, and the optical characteristics of the surface at these portions The bar code is represented by the difference.
[0016]
In a barcode, sufficient light reflection must be obtained from a portion corresponding to a white background of the label (in the case of the above-described slit label, a portion usually remaining between slits). However, when the label material is a metal, the surface is often rich in gloss, so that sufficient reflection can be obtained for incident light in a narrow range in the normal direction. Since the reflection is remarkably reduced, it is not possible to obtain a contrast between the slit portion and the remaining portion that is recognizable by an ordinary bar code reader. A similar problem also occurs when a bar code is formed by processing the material surface. However, from the viewpoint of practicality as a barcode label for recognizing various parameters in a production line, it is inevitable that a certain degree of error occurs in the relative positional relationship between the reader and the barcode label. Therefore, a practical barcode cannot be obtained simply by providing a slit in a metal material or the like or by processing the surface thereof.
[0017]
The present inventor uses various materials to form slits having different shapes, or to process the surface by various methods to form portions having different light reflection characteristics, thereby obtaining a reading function of a scanner reader. As a result of studying the necessary conditions for fully exerting the effect, the barcode label is formed with a high reflectance portion and a low reflectance portion, and the high reflectance portion is configured so as to satisfy the specific condition. In such a case, the present inventors have found that a barcode that can meet practical requirements can be obtained, and have completed the present invention.
[0018]
In the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the reflectance from the surface of the barcode label is measured at various incident angles, the normal direction of the surface of the label (C) is substantially obtained. The high-gloss part (A) showing only high reflectance is referred to as a low-reflectance part, and the low-gloss part (B) showing reflection intensity in substantially all directions is called a high-reflectance part.
[0019]
Hereinafter, the conditions that the barcode label of the present invention should satisfy will be described in detail.
[0020]
The barcode is composed of a low reflectance portion and a high reflectance portion provided on a label made of a single material. In one example of the barcode label according to the present invention, a part of the label material is extracted to form a slit-like portion, and the slit-like portion and the non-processed non-slit-like portion remaining between the slit-like portion each have a low reflectance portion. And a high reflectance portion. The slit can be formed by a method such as elution of the material by a photoetching method, cutting by mechanical processing, dissolution and removal of the material by a carbon dioxide laser, excimer laser, or the like. Among these methods, a photo-etching method is more preferable for a metal substrate, and a cutting by machining is more preferable for a resin substrate.
[0021]
Further, in another example of the barcode label according to the present invention, the barcode label is subjected to photofabrication processing, sandblasting processing, partial oxidation processing or the like for forming irregularities on the label material by partial melting, so that the label material surface is fixed. A low-reflectance portion can be formed as a line having a width, and an unprocessed portion remaining therebetween can be a high-reflectance portion.
[0022]
Further, in another example of the barcode label according to the present invention, contrary to the above, the processed portion may be a high reflectance portion and the non-processed portion remaining therebetween may be a low reflectance portion.
[0023]
In general, it is preferable that the barcode label has a wide reading angle due to its use form. In practice, the barcode label has a reading angle of ± 20 degrees, more preferably ± 60 degrees, measured from the normal direction. It turned out that there was no problem if it had an angle.
[0024]
In such a state, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, the reflectance in the normal direction of the high reflectance portion (normally unprocessed portion) of the label material is defined as R ₁ (%), and from the normal line. The reflectance in the direction inclined 60 degrees from the normal is R ₂ (%), and the reflectance in the normal direction in the low reflectance portion (normally processed portion) is R ₃ . the reflectance in the case of the R _4,
R ₁ ≧ 10% (1)
_{R 2 / R 1 ≧ 0.2 ......} (2)
R ₄ / R ₃ ≦ 0.1 (3)
Is required. When these conditions are satisfied, the information shown in the barcode can be read without any practical problems.
[0025]
Further, when forming a slit type bar code, the material substrate needs to have a certain thickness in order to maintain the label strength. In such a case, if the width of the slit of the bar code is made too small, the light is emitted from the slit portion to the rear of the label if the incident angle (θ) of the reading beam from the bar code reader is inclined from the normal direction. The width, that is, the apparent width of the slit is smaller than the actual slit width. In an extreme case, when the thickness of the substrate matches the apparent slit width and the beam is incident at an angle of 45 degrees from the normal direction, a part of the bar code will be lost. In a barcode, a narrow line (hereinafter, referred to as a thin line) and a wide line (hereinafter, referred to as a thick line) each have a unique meaning, and a part of the barcode disappears depending on the incident direction of the beam. This must be absolutely avoided, and a large change in the width of the line constituting the bar code is also undesirable because it causes reading errors.
[0026]
According to the study of the present inventor, in the slit type bar code shown in FIG. 4, the thickness of the bar code label is (T), the width of the slit on the front side of the bar code is (W ₁ ), When the width of the slit on the back side of the cord is (W ₂ ), these are W ₂ > 0.4W ₁ + 0.73T (4)
2W ₁ > W ₂ > W ₁ (5)
2.2W ₁ > T (6)
When the reader satisfies the following relationship, even if the reader reads the reflected beam from a direction approximately 20 degrees diagonally from the normal, it falls within ± 30% of the set value of the thin line, and can be read by a normal reader. Turned out to be.
[0027]
The present invention has been completed based on the above new findings.
[0028]
In the slit-type barcode label according to the present invention, any noise, for example, a beam in which a beam passing through the slit is reflected from some material located behind the label, or another light source located behind the label It is preferable to dispose a light absorbing plate made of a material having a low reflectance (more preferably, a material having a reflectance in the normal direction of 10% or less) on the back surface side so that light from the device does not enter the bar code reader. .
[0029]
Alternatively, a surface with a lower reflectance than the non-slit portion (a surface with a high gloss) is provided on the back side of the slit type barcode label in which the non-slit portion has a surface with a high reflectance (a surface with a low gloss). By arranging the reflecting plate having an angle of 10 degrees or more, the beam passing through the slit can be reflected in a direction different from the direction of the barcode reader, so that the same effect as the above-described light reflecting plate can be obtained. Can be achieved.
[0030]
Alternatively, the back side of the slit type bar code label in which the non-slit portion has a low reflectance surface (high gloss surface) is made of a material with a higher reflectance than the non-slit portion (low gloss surface). A reflector may be provided so that the reflected light from the reflector is read as a white background portion by a reader.
[0031]
Examples of the material of the barcode label according to the present invention include metal materials such as stainless steel, plastic materials such as fluorine resin, polyamide, polyimide, polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride, and acrylic resin, and ceramics such as zirconia, alumina, silicon nitride, and aluminum nitride. Materials are exemplified.
[0032]
A typical example of a barcode label material that is particularly excellent in high-temperature durability and corrosion resistance is stainless steel. Other materials are inferior to stainless steel in high-temperature durability and corrosion resistance, etc., but should be appropriately selected and used according to the environment in which the barcode label is used. Good. For example, as a barcode material used in a hydrofluoric acid cleaning step in a process of processing a semiconductor wafer, a fluororesin is suitable.
[0033]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, by selecting, for example, stainless steel as a label material, a management system using a barcode is constructed even under extremely severe high-temperature and corrosive environment conditions that cannot be handled by a conventional barcode label. can do.
[0034]
Further, according to the present invention, since a barcode is not formed by printing, problems such as contamination due to the use of printing ink and occurrence of a data error due to dropout of the barcode do not occur.
[0035]
It is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to a barcode label suitable for use in a field that does not necessarily require high high-temperature durability and corrosion resistance.
[0036]
【Example】
Examples are shown below to further clarify features of the present invention.
[0037]
Example 1
As schematically shown in FIG. 6 as a slope view, a heat-resistant stainless steel substrate (thickness T = 0.5 mm) whose surface has been matted in advance is subjected to photo-etching to obtain a fine line width W ₁ = 0.5 mm on the front surface and a back surface. A slit-type barcode pattern having a side thin line width W ₂ = 0.7 mm was formed. Since the barcode was code39 and was composed of three digits of data, the width of the barcode was about 85 mm. At this time, the contents of the data were engraved as characters on the label surface by half etching so that the bar code data could be visually read, so that the data could be easily read. In the bar code label, T, _{W 1} and _{W 2,} the formula (4), (5) and met the relationship shown in (6) (see also FIG. 4).
[0038]
When this label was attached to an automobile engine part and quenched at 800 ° C., the surface of the label turned brown.
[0039]
The reflectance of the non-slit portion of the bar code label surface after the quenching step is R ₁ = 25%, R ₂ = 8%, and R ₂ / R ₁ = 0.32. ) And (2) were satisfied (see also FIG. 3).
[0040]
After quenching consisting of heat treatment at 800 ° C. for 4 hours and dropping into oil at 80 ° C., the above engine parts were subjected to sand blasting to remove sludge. By adjusting the sensitivity of the code reader above normal levels, the required data could be read.
[0041]
From this, it is clear that the barcode label according to the present embodiment can sufficiently withstand thermal shock, oil stain, mechanical shock due to sand blast and the like due to rapid temperature fluctuation.
[0042]
Example 2
A white zirconia substrate (thickness T = 0.2 mm) was photo-etched to form a slit-type barcode pattern having a front side fine line width W ₁ = 0.25 mm and a back side fine line width W ₂ = 0.28 mm. . In the bar code label of the format shown in FIG. 6, T, W ₁ and W ₂ satisfy the relations shown in the above-mentioned equations (4), (5) and (6) (see also FIG. 4). .
[0043]
When this label was placed in an oxidizing atmosphere firing path at a firing temperature of 1700 ° C. together with an alumina electronic circuit board, the label was slightly deformed, but there was no problem with the function as a barcode label.
[0044]
The reflectance of the non-slit portion on the label surface is R ₁ = 85%, R ₂ = 60%, and R ₂ / R ₁ = 0.70, which are shown in the above formulas (1) and (2). The relationship was satisfied (see also FIG. 2).
[0045]
From this, it is clear that the barcode label according to the present embodiment can manage products even under a high temperature condition of 1700 ° C. Therefore, even in a line that mixes and manufactures different types of products, production can be automated, and quality control can be performed more reliably.
[0046]
For reference, a label obtained by firing a barcode pattern using a colored pigment on a white zirconia substrate could not be used at a temperature exceeding the heat resistance limit of 1400 ° C. of the pigment. .
[0047]
Example 3
A photoresist is applied to the mirror-finished stainless steel substrate, the resist corresponding to the desired bar code pattern is exposed, developed and removed, and then the exposed portion corresponding to the pattern is exposed to the substrate by a corrosive liquid. By dissolving the parts, a bar code label of a surface reflectance change type of a type schematically shown in FIG. 7 was manufactured.
[0048]
In this barcode label, the concave portion changed into a satin shape, and the convex portion maintained a mirror surface state. The concave portion satisfied the above-described expressions (1) and (2), and the convex portion satisfied the relationship represented by the expression (3).
[0049]
Unlike a slit-type label, this type of barcode label is not affected by noise from the rear of the label, and thus has less restrictions on use and is suitable for use under strong alkaline conditions.
[0050]
Example 4
In the barcode label obtained in the same manner as in Example 3, the surface of the convex portion was further selectively oxidized by magnetite treatment to change to black.
[0051]
In the thus obtained bar code label made of stainless steel, the reflection by the strong oxide film formed on the surface of the projection is further suppressed, so that the reading stability is further improved.
[0052]
Example 5
A milky-white fluororesin substrate (thickness T = 1 mm) was drilled to form a slit-type barcode pattern having a front-side fine line width W ₁ = 1.5 mm and a back-side fine line width W ₂ = 2.0 mm. In the bar code label, T, _{W 1} and _{W 2,} the formula (4), (5) and met the relationship shown in (6) (see also FIG. 4).
[0053]
The reflectance of the non-slit portion on the label surface is R ₁ = 65%, R ₂ = 40%, and R ₂ / R ₁ = 0.66, which are obtained by using the above formulas (1) and (2). (See also FIG. 3).
[0054]
Since this fluororesin barcode label has excellent corrosion resistance to corrosive solutions such as hydrofluoric acid, it can be used, for example, for wafer carrier management in the chemical treatment process of semiconductor wafers that require cleaning with hydrofluoric acid. It is.
[0055]
On the other hand, metals, ceramics, and the like are eroded by hydrofluoric acid, and cannot be used as a barcode label material in any form. Also, when a bar code is formed on a fluororesin substrate using ink or the like, the ink itself is dissolved and the process is contaminated, so that it cannot be used.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a low reflectance portion of a barcode label in this specification.
FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a high reflectance portion of a barcode label in the present specification.
FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing conditions for enabling information shown in a barcode to be practically read without any problem in the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing conditions necessary for an incident light from a bar code reader to read data accurately.
FIG. 5 is a view showing a slit type bar code according to the present invention. Even if the reader reads a reflected beam from a direction obliquely about 20 degrees, it falls within a range of ± 30% of a set value of a thin line, and reading by a normal reader is not possible. It is a conceptual diagram for showing the possible conditions.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an outline of an example of a slit type barcode label according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an outline of an example of a surface reflectance changing type barcode label according to the present invention.

Claims (6)

A slit type bar code label having a bar code constituted by a slit portion and a non-slit portion formed in the label material, the reflectivity in the normal direction in the non-slit portion and R _5, the normal slit type bar code label, characterized in that the reflectance of the 60-degree inclined direction when the R _6, satisfying the following conditions:
R ₅ ≧ 10% (4)
R ₆ / R ₅ ≧ 0.2 (5) In the slit portion formed in the label material, the thickness of the label stock is T, the width of the surface side of the slit and W _1, when the width of the rear surface side of the slit was W _2, satisfying the following conditions The slit-type barcode label according to claim 1 , wherein:
W ₂ > 0.4W ₁ + 0.73T (6)
2W ₁ > W ₂ > W ₁ (7)
T <2.2W ₁ (8) Slit type bar code label according to claim 1 or 2 was placed a reflector of low reflectivity than the slit portion at an angle of 10 degrees or more with respect to the bar code label on the back side of the bar code label. Slit type bar code label according to claim 1 or 2 was placed a light absorbing plate of a low reflectivity than the slit portion on the back side of the bar code label. The slit type barcode label according to claim 4 , wherein the reflectance in the normal direction of the light absorbing plate is 10% or less. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the label material is made of metal, ceramics or plastics. 5. The barcode label according to any one of 5.

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