Patent ID: 7152794

Claim:
A method of cancelling a bar code, previously imprinted upon a thermal-direct-printed bar code label as a result of exposing predetermined portions of said thermal-direct-printed bar code label to a predetermined temperature level whereby said predetermined exposed portions of said thermal-direct-printed bar code label become activated and blackened, and wherein said bar code label has been subsequently affixed upon a packaging container, comprising the steps of: providing a work station; providing a heat source, capable of generating sufficient heat such that an object disposed within the vicinity of said heat source will be heated to said predetermined temperature level, at said work station; actuating a conveyor so as to convey a packaging container, having a thermal-direct-printed bar code label affixed thereon and comprising a bar code pre-printed thereon as a result of thermal activation at said predetermined temperature level, to said work station; deactuating said conveyor so as to terminate conveyance of said conveyor so as to dispose said packaging container at said work station; actuating said heat source such that the entire expanse of said thermal-direct-printed bar code label is exposed to said heat source so as to heat said entire expanse of said thermal-direct-printed bar code label to said predetermined temperature level such that said entire expanse of said thermal-direct-printed bar code label becomes blackened so as to thereby render said bar code, pre-printed upon said thermal-direct-printed bar code label, illegible and unreadable whereby said packaging container can be reused by affixing a new bar code label thereon; and reactuating said conveyor so as to discharge said packaging container from said work station.