JPH043329Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a label for attaching cargo to be used in a cargo sorting information identification device.

[Prior art and its problems]

Conventionally, courier cargo is affixed with a label displaying a code number corresponding to the recipient's address at a courier service agency, collected at a collection and delivery center, and then processed to display the code number or recipient address on the label at the collection and delivery center. A staff member reads the information and operates a keypad connected to the sorting device to drive the sorting device and perform sorting work.

In addition, since courier cargo is collected and delivered during the day,
The sorting work is done all at once at night.

Under these circumstances, conventional sorting devices have the following drawbacks. (1) Night work is required by workers.

(2) Each worker has a different ability to identify labels, and if an unskilled worker is involved, sorting will take a long time.

(3) Discrimination speed decreases due to fatigue caused by night work or long-time discrimination.

(4) Identification errors may also occur due to fatigue or carelessness. In particular, if this identification error occurs, the cargo may not be delivered within the stipulated delivery period.
This is a serious drawback.

[Purpose of invention]

The purpose of the present invention is to improve the above-mentioned drawbacks by providing a sensor that can reliably read labels attached to cargo with different box shapes, regardless of the label position. An object of the present invention is to provide a label for attaching cargo to be used in a cargo sorting device that automatically sorts cargo of various shapes and sizes based on signals.

[Summary of the idea]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to the present invention, a fluorescent ink that emits fluorescence when irradiated with ultraviolet rays is coated on one surface of a cargo affixation label that is affixed to cargo that is sorted by a cargo sorting information identification device. Provided is a label for attaching cargo, characterized in that the label is made of thermal paper and is configured to thermally print code numbers.

〔Example〕

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram for explaining a delivery system of a courier service using a cargo sorting device to which a cargo pasting label of the present invention is attached.

At a courier service store, a label 1 indicating the code number of the collection and delivery office that performs delivery to the recipient's address is created by a label printer 2, and the label 1 is pasted on the top surface of the cargo 3. This cargo 3 is collected by truck at a collection/delivery center (collection/major classification), and at the collection/delivery center is sorted by sorting device 10 into each destination according to major classification. ) will be sent to. At this collection and delivery center, the cargo 3 is further classified into finer pieces by a sorting device 10 and delivered to each home by truck.

Next, the cargo sorting device will be explained with reference to FIG. The sorting device 10 has a conveyor device consisting of a belt 16 wrapped around rollers 12,14. The belt 16 is run in the direction of arrow A by a motor (not shown), and conveys the cargo 3 having the label 1 affixed to its upper surface from the roller 12 position toward the roller 14 position. Upstream in the conveyor path, a height sensor 22 and a first lighting device 2, which will be described later, are provided.
4. Frame 1 for attaching the first sensor 28
8 is placed. The frame 18 is composed of four vertical members 18a, four top members 18b, and four bottom members 18c.
A first lighting device 24 is attached approximately in the middle of 8a, and height sensors are further arranged on both sides of the first lighting device 24. Further, a horizontal bar member 18d is attached to the top member 18b, and a first sensor 28 is attached to this horizontal bar member 18d.

The first lighting device preferably includes a mercury lamp, and irradiates the entire surface of the conveyor with ultraviolet light from the bottom surface,
In addition, there is a vertical slit 2 extending horizontally approximately in the center.
6, this slit 26 allows only the visible light reflected from the label portion directly below the slit to pass through and directs it to the first sensor 28. Note that the first illumination device may have one side open so that the vertical slit 26 is not provided, and the first sensor 28 reads the visible light reflected by the line scanning.

The height sensor 22 is made up of a large number of light emitting elements and light receiving elements arranged in the vertical direction, which are arranged opposite to each other on both sides of the conveyor, and detects the height of the passing cargo 3 by determining whether or not the light receiving elements are blocked from light. The signal is detected and sent to a first processor, which will be described later.

As shown in Fig. 3, the label 1 has a diagonal cutout at one corner to indicate the direction of the label, and a background coated with fluorescent ink, with a 7-segment type The code number of the collection and delivery office that will make the delivery to the recipient's address is thermally printed.

The first sensor 28 may be any device that can receive the light beam that has passed through the slit 26 and scan the moving label line by line, but is preferably a CCD (charge coupled device). It consists of an image sensor consisting of This first sensor 28 is for detecting the orientation and width direction (lateral direction) position of the label, and its signal is sent to the first processor 56.
The center position is detected by calculating the center of gravity of the label.

Next, downstream of the conveyor, a frame 20 is arranged substantially similar to frame 18. The frame 20 includes four vertical members 20a, four top members 20b, and four bottom members 20c.
A second illumination device 30 having a vertical slit 32 constructed in substantially the same manner as in FIG. Note that, like the first lighting device storage means 24, this second lighting device 30 also has one side open and a vertical slit 32.
It is also possible to have a configuration in which no . The second sensor driving device 50 includes a device 36 for vertically moving the second sensor and a device 38 for swinging the second sensor, and may be of any suitable type as long as it moves the second sensor vertically or swings. However, to explain an embodiment that can be normally used, the second sensor vertical movement device 36
consists of a guide 36c attached to the top member 20b of the frame 20, a board screw 36b disposed inside the guide 36c, and a servo motor 36a that drives the nut of the ball screw.The nut is moved along the guide by driving the motor. The second sensor swinging device 38 is made up of a pulse motor 38a attached to a nut, a worm 38b attached to the rotating shaft of the motor 38a, and a worm gear 38c engaged with the worm 38b. The second sensor 34 attached to the worm gear 38c is vibrated via the worm 38b and the worm gear 38c by the drive of the pulse motor 38a, and can be positioned at a certain angle with respect to the vertical.

The second sensor 34 is similar to the first sensor 28.
It is preferable to use a CCD image sensor.
Like the first sensor, it is configured to scan the light beam passing through the slit 32 of the second illumination device 32 line by line.

Note that the second sensor may be a camera with a zoom lens, and the second sensor vertical movement device 36 may be omitted.

The second sensor 34 is used to read the code number displayed on the label, whereas the first sensor 28 is used to read the center position of the label.

Further, a rotary encoder consisting of a slit disk 44 and a photo interrupter 46 is attached to the roller 14.
The sensor is provided on the rotating shaft of the sensor and is used to supply a pulse signal to a timing generator (not shown) to determine the timing for operating the second sensor and the timing for scanning the first sensor and the second sensor.

Note that 48 and 50 respectively indicate an identification device for identifying the code number of the label and a second sensor drive control device.

Next, the cargo attachment label of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. The label 1 consists of a thermal paper on which a fluorescent ink is originally attached as a background by printing or the like on one surface thereof, and a code number is printed on this thermal paper by a label printing machine at a courier service shop. Labels with code numbers printed in this way are irradiated with ultraviolet light,
The signal from it is transferred to an image input device (one-dimensional line sensor or two-dimensional CCD) via a second sensor.
However, in the image input device, the background of the label is recognized as a bright area, and the code number is recognized as a dark area because it prevents the emission of fluorescent light. Further, the surface of the cargo other than the label is recognized as a dark area. In this way,
The label of the present invention is suitable for use in a cargo sorting information identification device.

[Effect of idea]

As explained above, the present invention prints fluorescent ink on a label in advance and uses it as a background, and then thermally prints code numbers on the label to clearly distinguish bright and dark areas using an image input device. Since it can be separated, it can be effectively used in a cargo sorting information identification device.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a delivery system of a courier service using the cargo sorting device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cargo sorting device. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the label. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a label image within the image input device. 1...Label, 2...Label printer, 3...Cargo, 16...Conveyor, 22...Height sensor, 2
8...first sensor, 34...second sensor.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A cargo attachment label that is attached to cargo that is sorted by a cargo sorting information identification device has fluorescent ink on one side that emits fluorescence when irradiated with ultraviolet light, and is configured to thermally print code numbers. A cargo affixing label characterized by being made of thermal paper.