Article having a bar code on its circumferential surface

Abstract: A bar code (1a) comprising a number of parallel bars (2) is adapted to be provided circumferentially on a tubular or rod-like work-piece (4) so as to extend spirally about the center line of the work. In an alternative form, the bar code comprises a number of parallel bars each adapted to extend continuously along the entire length of the work. In one such alternative form, the bar code (22) comprises a number of parallel bars (22a, 22b) adapted to be provided on the surface of a belt-like work and each adapted to extend continuously along the entire length of the work.

Description: This invention relates to a bar code for representing merchandise or other information. Conventionally, in preparing products by cutting a continuous length of tubular or rod-shape work into separate pieces of a predetermined length, it has been a common practice to provide a bar code on each product in the following method. In one conventional method, labels or the like bearing bar codes are glued to the individual products after cutting. In another conventional method, a number of bar codes are previously provided on the tubular or rod-shape work at regular distances, and then the tubular or rod-shape work is cut at predetermined positions in such a manner that each separate product has one of the bar codes. In the former method, each label has to be adhered exactly to the predetermined position of the respective product. When automatically reading out the bar codes on the products, it would be impossible to read the bar code if adhered away from the predetermined position. Attaching the labels to the correct positions of the individual products one after another would result in an increased cost of production. According to the latter method, high printing and cutting precision would be necessary. It should be preferable to obtain as many products from a single work in an effort to reduce the cost of production, but this would lower the yield as errors accumulate. Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 3-3068 shows a method of providing a ring-shape bar code on a tubular or rod-shape article. However, this method also has the same problem as the foregoing methods when cutting a continuous length of work into product lengths. Further, if there is non-continuity at the joint of opposite ends of a bar code due to slippage when the bar code is glued or printed in a ring shape, an error in reading would occur when scanning this joint section. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a bar code which is free from any restriction on the cutting positions and the post-cutting detecting positions when products are obtained by cutting a continuous length of tubular or rod-shape workpiece. According to the present invention, there is provided a bar coded article comprising an elongated member having a circumferential surface and at least a predetermined longitudinal length, and a bar code comprising a number of parallel bars provided on the circumferential surface of the elongated member, characterised in that said bar code is provided spirally and continuously on the elongated member without overlapping of the bars, said bar code completely surrounding the entire area of the circumferential surface of the elongated member in said predetermined longitudinal length. Also according to the present invention, there is provided a bar coded article comprising an elongated member having a circumferential surface and at least a predetermined longitudinal length, and a plurality of bar codes each comprising a number of parallel bars provided on the circumferential surface of the elongated member, characterised in that the bar codes are arranged with their bars parallel to each other and are provided spirally and continuously on the elongated member without overlapping of each other, whereby the article is provided on the entire area of its circumferential surface with a plurality of repeats of the bar code along the said length. Thanks to the present invention even if products are obtained by cutting the bar coded article at longitudinally successive positions, every product has the same bar code. The bar code spiral about the center line of the work can be detected by a sensor even if the work and sensor are relatively moved circumferentially of the work or parallel to the center line of the work. Since the bar code is provided on the circumferential surface of the elongated member continuously along the entire length thereof, the bar code can be detected by a sensor irrespective of the position of the sensor by moving the work and the sensor in the direction of crossing the bar code (circumferentially of the work). Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a belt-like article; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of this invention; FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a detecting method according to a second embodiment; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment; FIG. 5 is a perspective view, partially in cross section, of a fourth embodiment; FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the fourth embodiment of FIG. 5; FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a fifth embodiment; FIG. 8 illustrates the direction of detecting a bar code according to this invention; FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a sixth embodiment; and FIG. 10 shows a seventh embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a belt-like article 1a wound in a tubular shape. On the surface of the belt-like article 1a, there is continuously printed a bar code 2 composed of a number of parallel bars extending longitudinally along the entire length of the articles 1a. FIG.2 shows the belt-like article 1a wound on the outer circumferential surface of a tubular work 4 spirally about the center line of the tubular work 4, to form a bar coded article according to the invention. Work 4 may be made of paper, for example. The tubular work 4 may be used as a container, a core on which a string or the like is to be wound, or a core on which a paper or cloth sheet is to be wound. To manufacture such a roll of string or sheet, a long tubular work having the foregoing spiral bar code 2 is prepared, whereupon the string or sheet may be wound on the tubular work and then the resulting tubular work may be cut into product rolls of a predetermined length. Alternatively, the tubular work may be cut first and then the string or sheet may be wound on the individual tubular work of a product length. Since the spiral bar code 2 extends continuously along the entire length of the tubular work 4, the same bar code 2 appears on the core of every product roll even if the original tubular work is cut off at any longitudinal successive position, thus requiring no high precision for locating the cutting position. In any of the illustrated examples, the principles of this invention can be applied to a mimeographic stencil W. In the case where a roll of mimeographic stencil W having the foregoing bar code 2 is loaded on an automatic mimeographic printer, as shown in FIG. 3, part of the tubular core 4 should be exposed from one end of the roll of mimeographic stencil W so that the bar code 2 appearing on the outer circumferential surface of the exposed tubular core 4 is read by a sensor 5 to obtain merchandise information about the product, i.e. the mimeographic stencil W. High precision is not required for positioning the sensor 5, and it is possible to reliably read the joint-free bar code 2 by making a complete rotation of the roll of mimeographic stencil W with respect to the sensor 5. FIG. 4 shows an example in which a belt-like article 1b similar to that of FIG. 1 is used as a roll of packing paper. By winding the belt-like article 1b spirally on the outer peripheral surface of the roll, it is possible to obtain a bar code 2 of the same construction as the tubular core 4 of FIG. 2. On the surface of the belt-like article 1b, the maker's name 3, for example, may be printed. If the bar code 2 can be optically read out, this maker' name should be printed in a color ink which cannot be read by an optical sensor. FIGS. 5 and 6 show a tubular core 4a of a roll of mimeographic stencil W. The belt-like article la is attached spirally on the inner circumferential surface of this tubular core 4a. Thus the bar code 2 appears inside the tubular core 4a. In the case where a roll of mimeographic stencil W having the tubular core 4a is loaded on an automatic mimeographic printer, the tubular core 4a and thus the mimeographic stencil roll W is rotatably supported by a non-illustrated frame via a holder 6. As it is inserted into an axial hole 6a of the holder 6, a sensor 7 detects the bar code 2 on the inner circumferential surface of the tubular core 4a. In this case, like the case of FIG. 3, since the bar code 2 appears likewise at any position on the inner circumferential surface of the tubular core 4a, the sensor 7 can read the bar code 2 reliably while the tubular core 4a makes a single rotation, thus requiring no high precision for positioning the sensor 7. FIG. 7 shows a substantially endless bar code 2 is wound spirally on the outer circumferential surface of a cylindrical work 8. As is apparent from the foregoing embodiments, according to this invention, the spiral bar code extends continuously on the inner or outer circumferential surface of the tubular work or the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical work. With this arrangement, at whichever longitudinal positions the work is cut into product lengths, every product will have the same bar code. Further, since the bar code for the individual product appears on the entire circumferential surface of the product, high precision is not required for positioning a sensor. If the bar code extends more than one revolution about the center line of the product, the direction of relative movement of the sensor may be either axial or circumferential, as shown in FIG. 8. Further, a continuous bar code 2 to be provided on the circumferential surface of a work may include either a number of bar codes of different kinds (2a ≠ 2b) or a number of bar codes of the same kind (2a =2b). In the foregoing illustrated embodiments, the bar code is composed of bars which can be optically read out. However, this invention may be applied also to bar codes which can be read otherwise, i.e., magnetically, electrostatically or mechanically. Further, in the foregoing embodiments, both the tubular work 4 and the cylindrical work 8 are circular in cross section as taken along a plane perpendicular to the center line of the work. Alternatively, as long as it is not beyond the detectable range 11 of a sensor 9, the cross-sectional shape of the work may be polygonal or of any other shape, as shown in FIG. 10, with the same operation and result as the illustrated embodiments. According to the bar code of this invention, when preparing a number of products by cutting a tubular, rod-shape or belt-like work, it is possible to realize a great degree of freedom for the cutting positions and/or the detecting position. In the foregoing illustrated embodiment, the bar code is composed of bars which can be optically read out. However, this invention may be applied also to bar codes which can be read otherwise, i.e., magnetically, electrostatically or mechanically. Further, in the foregoing embodiments, both the tubular work and the cylindrical work are circular in cross section as taken along a plane perpendicular to the center line of the work. Alternatively, as long as it is not beyond the detectable range 11 of a sensor 9, the cross-sectional shape of the work may be polygonal or of any other shape, as shown in FIG. 10, with the same operation and result as the illustrated embodiment. According to the bar code of this invention, when preparing a number of products by cutting a tubular, rod-shape or belt-like work, it is possible to realize a great degree of freedom for the cutting positions and the detecting position.

Claims: A bar coded article comprising an elongated member (4, 4a, 8) having a circumferential surface and at least a predetermined longitudinal length, and a bar code (2, 2a, 2b) comprising a number of parallel bars provided on the circumferential surface of the elongated member, (4, 4a, 8) characterised in that said bar code is provided spirally and continuously on the elongated member without overlapping of the bars, said bar code completely surrounding the entire area of the circumferential surface of the elongated member in said predetermined longitudinal length. A bar coded article according to claim 1, wherein said elongated member (4, 4a, 8) is cut perpendicular to the longitudinal direction at a distance more than the predetermined longitudinal length to form a product with a complete bar code on the circumferential surface. A bar coded article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said circumferential surface of the elongated member (4, 8) is an outer surface of the elongated member. A bar coded article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said elongated member (4a) has a hollow portion therein, said circumferential surface being an inner surface of the hollow portion. A bar coded article according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein said bar code (2, 2a, 2b) surrounds the circumferential surface of the elongated member (4, 4a, 8) at least twice in the predetermined longitudinal length. A bar coded article according to claim 1, wherein the bar code (2, 2a, 2b) comprises a belt-like article which is spirally wound all around the elongated member (4, 4a, 8) in a longitudinal direction of the elongated member. A bar coded article according to claim 6, wherein said belt-like article is wound around an outer surface of the elongated member (8) forming the circumferential surface. A bar coded article according to claim 6, wherein said elongated member (4a) has a cylindrical form with an inner surface forming the circumferential surface, said belt-like article being situated at the entire inner surface of the elongated member (4a). A bar coded article comprising an elongated member (4, 4a, 8) having a circumferential surface and at least a predetermined longitudinal length, characterised in that it further comprises a plurality of bar codes (2, 2a, 2b) each comprising a number of parallel bars provided on the circumferential surface of the elongated member, whereby the bar codes are arranged with their bars parallel to each other and are provided spirally and continuously on the elongated member (4, 4a, 8) without overlapping of each other, whereby the article is provided on the entire area of its circumferential surface with a plurality of repeats of the bar code along the said length. A bar coded article according to claim 9, wherein said elongated member (4, 4a, 8) is cut perpendicular to the longitudinal direction at a distance more than the predetermined longitudinal length to form a product with at least one complete bar code (2, 2a, 2b) on the circumferential surface. A bar coded article according to claim 9 or 10, wherein said circumferential surface of the elongated member (4, 8) is an outer surface of the elongated member. A bar coded article according to claim 9 or 10, wherein said elongated member (4a) has a hollow portion therein, said circumferential surface being an inner surface of the hollow portion.

Inventors: TERAUCHI JUNICHI, TERAUCHI, JUNICHI
Applicants: RISO KAGAKU CORP, RISO KAGAKU CORPORATION
Application year: 1993
Main classification: G06K19
IPC codes: G06K1, G06K19