Abstract:
Expendable supplies which are collectable and recyclable are respectively accommodated in packages at shipping. One of different identifiers is given to each expendable supply. The identifier of each expendable supply is the same as an identifier given to the package that packages the expendable supply.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to expendable supplies, package for packaging the expendable supplies, collective package, a system for managing expendable supplies, and a method for managing expendable supplies.  
           [0002]    Presently, for effective utilization of resources, expendable supplies such as ink cartridges or toner cartridges are collected for reuse after ink or toner is used. For promoting the reuse of the expendable supplies and collecting a large amount of used expendable supplies, some manufacturing companies have a special contract with a sales agent that collects a large amount of expendable supplies and has a high collecting rate. Such special contracts include reduction in prices of expendable supplies.  
           [0003]    However, although the sales agent has a contract with the manufacturing company on condition of a predetermined collecting rate, it is not clear whether the sales agent achieves the collecting rate or not. Conventionally, data of the number of collected expendable supplies and the collection date has been manually input to a managing computer based on the sales slips to check the collecting rate of the sales agent. That is, it is necessary to manually input data based on the sales slips of the sales agent for checking the collecting rate. Therefore, it takes labor and time.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    An object of the present invention is to provide expendable supplies, package, collective package, a system for managing expendable supplies and a method for managing expendable supplies that enable users to easily gather collection information such as a collecting rate and a collection date without taking labor and time.  
           [0005]    For achieving the above objective, according to a first aspect of the present invention, expendable supplies that are collectable and recyclable are provided. One of different identifiers is given to each expendable supply. The identifier of each expendable supply is the same as an identifier given to a package that packages the expendable supply at shipping.  
           [0006]    According to a second aspect of the present invention, packages are provided. The packages are used for packaging expendable supplies at shipping. The expendable supplies are collectable and recyclable. One of different identifiers is given to each expendable supply. An identifier is given to each package, and the identifier of each package is the same as the identifier given to the corresponding expendable supply.  
           [0007]    According to a third aspect of the present invention, a collective package is provided. This package collectively packages a plurality of expendable supplies that are collectable and recyclable. One of different identifiers is given to each expendable supply. The identifier of each expendable supply is the same as an identifier given to a package that packages the expendable supply at shipping. The collective package has a collective identifier including the information of the identifiers of the expendable supplies.  
           [0008]    According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a system for managing expendable supplies is provided. In the system, one of different identifiers is given to each expendable supply. The identifier of each expendable supply is the same as an identifier given to a package that packages the expendable supply at shipping. The system ships the expendable supplies and collects the supplies after the supplies are used. The system comprises first recording means for recording shipment information of each expendable supply in association with the identifier of the corresponding package, wherein the identifiers of the packages are read at shipping, second recording means recording collection time information of each expendable supply in association with the identifier of the supply, wherein the identifiers of the expendable supplies are read when the supplies are collected; and collection information generating means, which computes collection information including a collection rate and a collection period based on the shipment information and the collection time information respectively recorded by the first recording means and the second recording means.  
           [0009]    According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a system for managing expendable supplies is provided. The system comprises first reading means for reading identifiers given to packages of the expendable supplies at shipping, first recording means for recording shipment information in association with the identifiers read by the shipment time identifier reading means, second reading means for reading the identifiers given to the collected expendable supplies or the identifiers given to the collected packages, second recording means for recording collection time information based on the identifiers read by the collection time identifier reading means and generating means for computing collection information including a collection rate and a collection period based on the shipment information and the collection time information.  
           [0010]    According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a method for managing expendable supplies is provided. The method comprises steps of reading the identifiers of the packages, recording shipment information in association with the read identifiers, reading the identifiers of the collected expendable supplies, recording collection time information in association with the identifiers and obtaining collection information including a collection rate and a collection period based on the shipment information and the collection time information.  
           [0011]    Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    The invention, together with objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description of the presently preferred embodiments together with the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a system for managing expendable supplies according to an embodiment;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an outward appearance of expendable supplies and package for accommodating the expendable supplies when shipping according to a first embodiment;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is a chart of data stored in a shipping data storing section according to the first embodiment;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing steps of a shipping process according to the embodiment;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing steps of a collecting process according to the embodiment;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an outward appearance of collective package according to a second embodiment;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 7 is a chart of data stored in a shipping data storing section according to the second embodiment; and  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an outward appearance of collective package according to a third embodiment. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]    Hereinafter, a system for managing expendable supplies according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.  1 - 5 .  
         [0022]    A manufacturing company C has a headquarters H, a shipping center SC, and a collecting center RC. A management computer  11 , a process computer  12 , and a process computer  13  are arranged in the headquarters H, the shipping center SC and the collecting center RC, respectively. Each computer  11 ,  12 ,  13  has input means (not shown) such as a keyboard or a mouse and display means (not shown) such as a monitor.  
         [0023]    The management computer  11  at the headquarters H functions as first recording means, second recording means and collection information generating means. The management computer  11  has a shipping data storing section  14  and stores shipping information in the shipping data storing section  14  and reads the shipping information from the shipping data storing section  14  and generates collection information such as a collecting rate. The shipping information such as a bar code number  21  as identifier, a model number  22 , a name of a receiver  23  and a shipping date  24  is stored in the shipping data storing section  14 , as shown in FIG. 3. The collection information such as a collection date  25  and collection situation  26  is also stored in the shipping data storing section  14 . A receiving section  15  is arranged in the management computer  11 . The receiving section  15  receives data from the process computer  12  at the shipping center SC and receives data from the process computer  13  at the collecting center RC.  
         [0024]    The process computer  12  at the shipping center SC of the manufacturing company C has a sending section  16 . The process computer  12  sends data to the receiving section of the management computer  11  via the sending section  16 . A bar code reading terminal  17  as identifier reading means at shipping is connected to the process computer  12 . The bar code reading terminal  17  reads the bar code number  21  of a bar code  31 B at shipping.  
         [0025]    On the other hand, the process computer  13  at the collecting center RC of the manufacturing company has a sending section  18  and sends data to the receiving section  15  of the management computer  11  via the sending section  18 . A bar code reading terminal  19  as identifier reading means at collecting is connected to the process computer  13 . The bar code reading terminal  19  reads the bar code number  21  of the bar code  30 B at collecting.  
         [0026]    As shown in FIG. 2, one-dimensional bar code  30 B is put on a side wall of a toner cartridge  30 . The toner cartridge  30  is an expendable item that is shipped from the shipping center SC. The bar code  30 B has a bar code number  21  that is different for each expendable supplies. The bar cod number  21  may be a serial number or may be the same as a number of a toner cartridge  30  that has been collected and is not on the market.  
         [0027]    On the other hand, a box  31  is a package for accommodating a toner cartridge  30  at shipping and the bar code  31 B the same as the bar code  30 B is put on the box  31 . The bar code  31 B has the same bar code number as the bar code  30 B of the toner cartridge that is accommodated in the box  31 .  
         [0028]    Next, an operation of the system for managing expendable supplies according to the embodiment will be explained with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.  
         [0029]    The bar codes  30 B and  31 B are put on the toner cartridge  30  that is manufactured as expendable supplies and on the box  31  for accommodating the toner cartridge  30 , respectively, as shown in FIG. 2. The toner cartridge  30  is accommodated in the box  31  where the bar code  31 B having the same number as the bar code number  21  of the bar code  30 B is put.  
         [0030]    The shipping process shown in FIG. 4 is executed at shipping. The management computer  11  at the manufacturing company C sends order information for the receiver to the process computer  12  of the shipping center SC (step S 11 ). The order information for the receiver includes, for example, the name of the receiver  23 , a model name that is sent and the number of toner cartridges. The receiver is the sales agency SA to which the toner cartridge  30  is sent. The process computer  12  sends a predetermined number of cartridges  30  to the sales agency SA having the receiver&#39;s name  23  based on the received information. The process computer  12  at the shipping center SC reads the bar code number  21  of the bar code  31 B on the box  31  via the bar code reading terminal  17  at shipping (step S 12 ). The process computer  12  generates shipping information according to the read bar code number  21 , the applied model number  22 , the receiver&#39;s name  23  and the shipping date  24  (the date when the bar code number  21  is read by the bar code reading terminal  17 ) (step S 14 ). The generated shipping information is temporally stored in the process computer  12 . The process computer  12  sends the generated shipping information to the management computer  11  at the manufacturing company C (step S 14 ). If the receiving section  15  of the management computer  11  receives the shipping information from the shipping center SC, the received shipping information is stored in the shipping data storing section  14  as shown in FIG. 3 (step S 15 ).  
         [0031]    After the shipping process, the toner cartridge  30  is shipped to each sales agency SA and sold to an end user U at each sales agency SA. The end user U takes out the toner cartridge  30  from the box  31  to use it.  
         [0032]    The used toner cartridge  30  that has been used is accommodated in the box  31  instead of the toner cartridge that is taken out of the box  31  and collected by the sales agency SA. In this case, the bar code number  21  of the bar code  31 B that is put on the box  31  is different from the bar code number  21  of the accommodated toner cartridge  30 . The used toner cartridge  30  may be accommodated in a collecting post P arranged at a predetermined place and collected not via the sales agency SA. The used toner cartridges  30  that are collected by the sales agency SA and the collecting post are collected to the collecting center RC.  
         [0033]    The bar code reading terminal  17  reads the bar code number  21  of the bar code  30 B on the used toner cartridge  30  that is collected at the collecting center RC, as shown in FIG. 5 (step S 21 ). The read bar code number  21  of the bar code  30 B and the collection date  25  that is a date when the data is read are temporally stored in the process computer  13 . At this time, the collection situation  26  is input by input means (not shown) if there is a special matter with respect to the collected toner cartridge  30 , for example, if a large amount of ink is solidified and remains (step S 22 ). Next, the process computer  13  sends the bar code number  21  of the bar code  30 B and the collection time information including the collection date  25  and the collection situation  26  to the management computer  11  (step S 23 ).  
         [0034]    The management computer  11  stores the collection time information related to the bar code number  21  including the collection date  25  and the collection situation  26  in the shipping data storing section  14  based on the bar code number  21  of the bar code  30 B received from the process computer  13  at the collecting center RC. The collection time information including the collection date  25  and the collection situation  26  is stored in the shipping data storing section  14  with relating to the bar code number  21  (step S 24 ).  
         [0035]    The management computer  11  computes the collection rate and the collection period based on the shipping information stored in the shipping data storing section  14  (step S 25 ). The management computer  11  computes the collection rate data for each sales agency or each model from the data of the receiver&#39;s name  23 , the shipping date  24  and the collection date  25  and computes the collection period of the toner cartridge  30  from the data of the shipping date  24  and the collection date  25 .  
         [0036]    Afterwards, the toner cartridge  30  whose bar code  30 B is read is separated into remaining ink, refuse, products manufactured by other company and a case K of the toner cartridge  30 . The remaining ink is sent to an ink process dealer and the refuse is sent to a recycling dealer. The case K of the toner cartridge  30  is sent to a plurality of recycling companies RH 1 , RH 2 . The toner cartridge  30  that is recycled at a plurality of recycling companies RH 1 , RH 2  is sent to the shipping center again. The above-described shipping process is executed at the shipping center SC. In this case, the bar code number  21  that is put on the recycled toner cartridge  30  and the box  31  may be same number as the collected toner cartridge  30  or a new number may be applied to the recycled toner cartridge  30 .  
         [0037]    The following advantages are obtained in the system for managing expendable supplies according to the above embodiment.  
         [0038]    (1) In the embodiment, the bar code  30 B having a bar code number  21  that is different for each toner cartridge  30  is put on the toner cartridge  30 . The bar code  31  having the same number as the bar code number  21  put on the toner cartridge  30  is put on the box  31  that accommodates the toner cartridge  30 . Therefore, by reading the bar code  31 B of the box  31 , the bar code number  21  of each toner cartridge  30  is easily read at shipping in a condition that the toner cartridge  30  is accommodated in the box  31 . The shipping information including the model number  22 , the receiver&#39;s name  23  and the shipping date  24  can be stored in the shipping data storing section  14  easily with relating to the bar code number  21 .  
         [0039]    (2) In the embodiment, when the toner cartridge  30  is collected, the bar code  30 B is read by the bar code reading terminal  19 . The collection time information including the collection date  25  and the collection situation  26  is stored in the shipping data storing section  14  with relating to the bar code number  21  of the bar code  30 B. Therefore, the management computer  11  easily computes the collection information such as the collection rate and the collection period from the information stored in the shipping data storing section  14  without taking labor and time.  
         [0040]    (3) In the embodiment, the bar code number  21  is used as the identifier related to the shipping information of each toner cartridge  30 . Therefore, even if another dealer reads the bar code to know the bar code number, the dealer cannot know the sales customer information or the shipping information such as the shipping date that is related to the bar code as shown in FIG. 3. Since the shipping information (the model number  22 , the receiver&#39;s name  23 , the shipping date  24  ad the collection date  25 ) that is stored in the shipping data storing section  14  at shipping and the collection time information (the collection date  25  and the collection situation  26 ) can be read based on the bar code number  21 , the information can be managed without leaking. Therefore, reading of the bar codes at collection can be consigned to other company.  
         [0041]    (4) In the embodiment, the shipping information and the collection time information is stored in the shipping data storing section  14  relating to the bar code number  21  and managed by the management computer  11 . Therefore, the management of the system is easy and the collection time information is easily obtained.  
         [0042]    (5) In the embodiment, the bar code number  21  of the bar code  30 B,  31 B that is put on the toner cartridge  30  and the box  31  may be same as the bar code number  21  of the toner cartridge  30  that has been shipped and collected. Therefore, the bar code number  21  is necessary to have a predetermined range of numbers and the width of the bar code  30 B,  31 B is not necessary to be made larger.  
         [0043]    Next, a system for managing expendable supplies according to a second embodiment will be explained with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. In each following embodiment, the same numerals are applied to the same portion as in the above embodiment and the detailed explanation thereof is omitted.  
         [0044]    In the second embodiment, a plurality of boxes  31  (fifteen in FIG. 6) accommodating the toner cartridges  30  are accommodated in a collective box  32  as collective package. A collective bar code  32 B that is similar to the bar code  30 B is put on a side wall of the collective box  32 . The collective bar code  32 B has an collective bar code number  27  that is unique to the collective box  32 . The bar code numbers  21  of the bar code  31 B,  30 B on the box  31  accommodated in the collective box  32  and the toner cartridge  30  are related to the collective bar code number  27 . When the box  31  is accommodated in the collective box  32 , the bar code number  21  of the bar code  31 B on the box  31  is related to the collective bar code number  27  of the collective bar code  32 B on the collective box  32  and the bar code number  21  and the collective bar code number  27  are stored in the process computer  12 .  
         [0045]    In the second embodiment, each of the bar code numbers  21  of the bar codes  30 B put on the toner cartridges  30  that are accommodated in the same collective box  32  is different from each other. Similarly to the above embodiment, the bar code  31 B having the bar code number  21  the same as the bar code number  21  of the bar code  30 B put on the accommodated toner cartridge  30  is put on the box  31  accommodating the toner cartridge  30 . Therefore, in the second embodiment, each of the bar code numbers  21  of the bar codes  31 B on the boxes  31  accommodated in the same collective box  32  is different from each other.  
         [0046]    In the second embodiment, when the collective bar code number  27  of the collective bar code  32 B is read at shipping, the model number  22 , the receiver&#39;s name  23  and the shipping date  24  are temporally stored in the process computer  12  relating to the bar code number  21  that is related to the collective bar code number  27 . The process computer  12  sends the bar code number  21 , the model number  22 , the receiver&#39;s name  23 , the shipping date  24  and the collective bar code number  27  to the management computer  11 . The management computer  11  stores the information in the process computer  12 . As shown in FIG. 7, the boxes  31  having the bar code numbers  21  having the same collective bar code number  27  are accommodated in the same collective box  32  and shipped to the same receiver&#39;s name  23  on the shipping date  24 .  
         [0047]    When the toner cartridges  30  are collected by the collecting center RC, the same process is executed as the first embodiment to obtain the collection rate and the collection period.  
         [0048]    Therefore, according to the second embodiment, the following advantages are obtained in addition to the advantages of (2)-(5) according to the first embodiment.  
         [0049]    (6) In the second embodiment, the collective bar code  32 B corresponding to the bar code number  21  of the bar code  30 B on each toner cartridge  30  that is accommodated in the collective box  32  is put on the collective box  32  that accommodates a plurality of toner cartridges  30 . Therefore, even if the toner cartridges  30  are accommodated in the collective box  32 , the shipping information is stored at shipping with relating to the bar code numbers  21  of the toner cartridges  30  that are to be shipped without taking out the toner cartridges  30  from the collective box  32 . Therefore, all the bar code numbers  21  of the toner cartridges  30  can be obtained without taking time or labor.  
         [0050]    Next, a system for managing expendable supplies according to a third embodiment will be explained with reference to FIG. 8.  
         [0051]    As shown in FIG. 8, in the third embodiment, the bar code  31 B is not put on the box  31  that accommodates the toner cartridge  30 . Instead, the bar codes  31 B that should be put on the boxes  31  are put on a side wall of the collective box  32  that accommodates the boxes  31 . The bar codes  31 B are put on the side wall of the collective box  32  in alignment with each other corresponding to a position of each box  31  that is accommodated in the collective box  32 .  
         [0052]    In the third embodiment, each of the bar codes  30 B of the toner cartridges (in the box  31 ) accommodated in the collective box  32  has a different bar code number  21 . The bar code  31 B has the same bar code number  21  as the bar code number  21  of the bar code  30 B on each toner cartridge  30 . Therefore, each of the bar codes  31 B put on the collective box  32  has a different bar code number  21 .  
         [0053]    Therefore, when the collective box  32  is shipped, all the bar codes  31 B on the collective box  32  are read by the bar code reading terminal  17  to obtain data as shown in FIG. 7 and the shipping process the same as the second embodiment is executed.  
         [0054]    Therefore, in the third embodiment, the following advantages can be obtained in addition to the advantages of (2)-(5).  
         [0055]    (7) In the third embodiment, the bar code  31 B having the same bar code number  21  as the bar code  30 B that is put on the toner cartridge  30  accommodated in the collective box  32  is put on the collective box  32  that accommodates a plurality of toner cartridges  30 . Therefore, when the bar code  31 B put on the collective box  32  is read, the bar code numbers  21  of the toner cartridges  30  that are shipped are read at once without taking out the toner cartridges from the collective box  32  even if the toner cartridges  30  are accommodated in the collective box  32 . All the bar code numbers  21  of the toner cartridges  30  can be obtained without taking time or labor.  
         [0056]    (8) In the third embodiment, the bar codes  31 B that should be put on the boxes  31  are put on the collective box  32 . Therefore, the operation for sticking the bar codes  31 B to the boxes  31  is omitted and the labor is reduced.  
         [0057]    It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in many other specific forms without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Particularly, it should be understood that the invention may be embodied in the following forms.  
         [0058]    In the above embodiments, the one-dimensional bar code is used as the identifier, however, a two-dimensional bar code or an IC chip may be used as the identifier. The bar code number  21  is used as the identifier, however, characters, numerals or the combination thereof may be used as the identifier.  
         [0059]    In the above embodiments, when the toner cartridge  30  accommodated in the box  31  is shipped, the bar code  31 B having the same number as the bar code number  21  of the bar code  30 B is put on the box  31  so that the bar code  30 B of the toner cartridge  30  is read. Instead, a part of the box  31  may be formed of a transparent material so that the bar code  30 B of the toner cartridge  30  is positioned corresponding to the transparent portion. The bar code reading terminal  17  reads the bar code  30 B of the toner cartridge  30  in a condition that the toner cartridge  30  is accommodated in the box  31 .  
         [0060]    In the above embodiments, the bar code numbers  21  of the collected toner cartridges  30  are read at the collecting center RC. However, the bar codes of the toner cartridges  30  may be read at each recycling company RH 1 , RH 2  and the read information may be sent to the management computer  11  at the headquarters H.  
         [0061]    The above embodiments are explained about the toner cartridge  30  as the expendable supplies. However, the expendable supplies may be other expendable supplies that can be collected and recycled, for example, an ink cartridge, a core of a rolled paper, an ink ribbon or package.  
         [0062]    Therefore, the present examples and embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope and equivalence of the appended claims.