JP2000099670A - Bar code type identification information display material - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow the bar codes to properly be read while increasing the degree of freedom for the reading direction of bar codes by placing the bar codes in such a way that the same identification information in displayed in the circumference direction of a virtual circle and in an attitude where the bars are arranged in the diameter direction of the virtual circle. SOLUTION: A bar code label BL is stuck around the center hole of every disk DS as a bar code type identification information display material which displays the identification information to identify every disk. In the label BL, plural bar codes 8 where the linear bar 8a are arranged in such a way that the same identification information is displayed are arranged in the circumference direction of virtual circle and in a posture where the bars 8a are arranged in the radius direction of the virtual circle. In such a constitution, the adjacent codes 8 touch with each other and each of bars 8a forming the codes 8 has a concentrical polygonal shape as a whole.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bar code type identification information display for displaying identification information by arranging bars.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Such a bar code type identification information display body displays identification information by arranging bars, and the identification information is read by scanning a light beam in the direction in which the bars are arranged. As a form of a so-called bar code, a bar code is generally arranged in a line, but as shown in FIG. 14, there is a bar code 100 in which each bar 101 is arranged concentrically. When the barcode has such a form, the degree of freedom in the reading direction of the barcode can be increased.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional configuration, when the reading direction coincides with the radial direction of the bar (circle) forming the bar code, the reading can be performed properly. If it is out of the range, the width and the interval of each bar change from the original value when reading in the radial direction, and the way of the change differs between the outer peripheral side and the inner peripheral side. In other words, even if the width of the bar on the outer circumference side is the same as the width of the bar on the inner circumference side, the width on the read signal is different between the two. For this reason, the barcode may not be read properly. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to appropriately read a bar code while increasing the degree of freedom in a bar code reading direction.

[0004]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a bar code type identification information display device includes a plurality of bar codes displaying the same identification information by arranging linear bars. Each of the bars is arranged in the circumferential direction of the virtual circle in a posture in which the bars are arranged in the radial direction of the virtual circle. Therefore, since the barcodes displaying the same identification information are arranged side by side in the circumferential direction of the virtual circle, the degree of freedom in the reading direction of the barcode is increased, and in each of the plurality of barcodes, the reading direction is different. Even if the bars deviate slightly from the radial direction of the imaginary circle, since the bars are linear, the manner in which the width and interval of each bar change when the reading direction deviates from the radial direction is different from that on the outer peripheral side. It changes equally on the inner circumference side, and the bar code can be read properly.

Thus, it has become possible to read the bar code properly while increasing the degree of freedom in the reading direction. Further, in the configuration in which the bars are arranged concentrically as in the above-described conventional configuration, the information necessary for forming the bar code includes information on the radius of the concentric circle forming each bar in addition to the width and interval of the bar. And the production cost is increased, but the production cost can be reduced by using a general technique of arranging linear bars to form a barcode.

[0006] With the above configuration, a plurality of barcodes arranged in the circumferential direction of the virtual circle are in a state where adjacent barcodes are in contact with each other. Code can be placed. Further, by providing the configuration according to the third aspect,
Since the adjacent barcodes are arranged at a distance from each other at least at the radially outer end of the virtual circle, it is easy to intuitively grasp the arrangement direction of the bars, that is, the reading direction, for each barcode. When the bar code type identification information display is attached, the handling can be facilitated.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an automatic lending / returning device for lending articles such as video cassettes for identification of lending articles will be described below with reference to the drawings. . In the automatic lending / returning apparatus N whose appearance is shown in FIG.
And a disc DC of DVD or CD (hereinafter simply referred to as “disc DC”) can be switched or mixed. The rental article LM is shown in FIG.
(B) and FIG. 3 (b), a video cassette VC or a disc D is mounted on an outer case V made of transparent plastic.
C is stored therein, and the outer case V is commonly used between the video cassette VC and the disk DC.

In order to use a common outer case V between the video cassette VC and the disk DC, the video cassette V
When storing C, the video cassette VC is first stored with the rod-shaped cassette spacer S1 inserted in the back of the outer case V as shown in FIG. In the case of the disk DC, as shown in FIG. 2, after storing the disk DC in the inner case V1 made of transparent plastic, the inner case V1 is held by the disk spacer S2 and stored in the outer case V. In the disk spacer S2,
A concave portion SC conforming to the outer shape of the inner case V1 is formed. Cassette spacer S1 and disk spacer S
2 is made of urethane foam or the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, each of the disks DC has a bar code label BL as a bar code type identification information display body for displaying identification information for identifying each of them around the center hole. It is stuck. A plurality of barcodes 8 that display the same identification information by arranging linear bars 8a on the barcode label BL are arranged in the circumferential direction of the virtual circle in such a manner that each bar 8a is arranged in the radial direction of the virtual circle. Are located. In FIG. 1, for example, the outer circumference of the barcode label BL can be assumed as the virtual circle. Adjacent ones of the barcodes 8 are arranged in contact with each other, and each of the bars 8a constituting the barcode 8 forms a concentric polygon when viewed as a whole.

In the present embodiment, ten bar codes 8 are arranged at equal pitches in the circumferential direction of the virtual circle, and each bar 8a has a decagonal shape.
It is preferable to arrange them in six ranges. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the bar code label 9 is also attached to the video cassette VC, but the video cassette VC stored in the outer case V using the cassette spacer S1 will be described later. Since the attitude at the time of reading the barcode is kept constant, the barcode label 9 may be a general barcode in which linear bars are arranged in a line. As shown in FIGS. 2B and 3B, when the video cassette VC and the disc DC are stored in the outer case V, the position of the barcode label BL and the position of the barcode label 9 are substantially the same. The shape of the cassette spacer S1 and the like is set so that

As shown in FIG. 4, the automatic lending / returning device N has a front panel C provided with a lending / returning operation section A and a slot C3 for taking in / out lending articles LM from outside.
1 are provided on both left and right sides of the cabinet C. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 6, inside the cabinet C, two lending exhibition storage shelves H (Ha, Hb) for storing a plurality of lending articles LM and lending articles LM to be lent or returned are provided. Are temporarily stored, a lending / exporting device G for transporting a lending article LM between the lending / exhibiting storage shelf H and the lending / exporting / exporting portion B, and an automatic lending / returning device N. A control device E for controlling the operation is provided.

In each of the rental exhibition storage shelves H (Ha, Hb), a plurality of rental exhibition storage sections 71 capable of individually storing each of the rental articles LM are arranged in the vertical and horizontal directions. As shown in FIG. 6,
The rental exhibition storage shelves Ha and Hb, which are arranged with the article loading / unloading sides facing each other, are arranged as a moving space, and the rental exhibition carrying-in / out section B is a rental exhibition storage shelf provided on the front side of the cabinet. It is arranged on both left and right sides of Ha. Then, the rental article LM stored in the rental exhibition storage shelf H
Is delivered to the lending exhibition carrying-in / out section B as an article take-out section based on the lending command from the control apparatus E, and the lending article LM temporarily stored for return to the lending exhibition carrying-in / out section B is transmitted from the control apparatus E to the lending article LM. Is stored in the rental exhibition storage shelf H based on the return command of

The operation unit A is turned on in a recessed portion C2 formed in the front panel C so as to select a card reader 1 for reading data recorded on a user identification card or a rental or return. The display unit 3 includes a selection button 2 to be displayed, a touch panel 3a, input of identification data of a lending article LM to be borrowed, a scheduled return date and the like, and displays various kinds of guidance. Section 4, bill insertion slot 5, change return slot 6, receipt printer 7 for printing and issuing a receipt of a lending fee, a receipt for a returned lending article LM, and a speaker for guiding operation procedures by voice (see FIG. Outside).

Each of the rental exhibition carrying-in / out sections B is shown in FIG.
As shown in (a) and (b), a front door 10 that swings open / close the entrance / exit C3 in the front-rear direction of the cabinet so that the lending article LM can be taken in / out from the entrance / exit C3, and a lending article LM to be carried in / out. Lending / return shelves 1
1 and the front door 10 is provided with a front panel C1.
A coil spring 13 that is swingably supported about a horizontal axis X1 by two hinges 14 with left and right dampers on a door support base 15 fixed to the back side of the front door and biases the front door 10 to the open side. A lock mechanism F that locks the door 10 in a closed state and an open / close detection sensor 10a that detects the open / closed state of the front door 10 are provided.

The lending / returning shelf 11 is integrally fixed to the back side of the front door 10 and is provided so as to swing together with the front door 10. As shown in FIG. 8, four lending articles LM are simultaneously held. Four rental mounting grooves 16 are provided so that they can be arranged and supported in a line in the left-right direction in a vertical position along the cabinet front-rear direction, and these rental mounting grooves 16 are
The lending article LM is provided so that a finger can be inserted between adjacent lending articles LM so that a desired lending article LM can be gripped.
Are arranged at a certain interval 16c at a depth shallower than the mounting height, and the upper entrances of the rental exhibition mounting grooves 16 are formed as openings 16b for taking in and out of articles.

As the front door 10 swings around the horizontal axis X1, the lending / returning shelf 11 rotates integrally, and the lending exhibition carrying-in / out section B moves as shown in FIG. FIG. 7 shows a transfer posture for holding the rental article LM with the article loading / unloading opening 16b of the rental exhibition mounting groove 16 facing the inside of the cabinet.
As shown in (a), the opening / closing opening 16b of the rental exhibition mounting groove 16 is provided so as to be freely switchable to a loading / unloading position for holding the rental item LM by making the opening / outlet C3 face the outside of the cabinet, The switching state of the rental exhibition carrying-in / out section B is determined based on the detection result of the opening / closing detection sensor 10a.

The lock mechanism F fixes the left and right locked pins 40 inside the front door 10 and projects so as to enter the movement path of the locked pins 40 accompanying the swing of the front door 10. Two latch locks 42 having right and left latch pawls 41 which are biased, and a solenoid for retracting each of the latch pawls 41 from the movement path of the locked pin 40 against a biasing force by a release wire 43. 44 are fixed to the front door 10, and the left and right locked pins 40 are locked by the locking claws 41 to lock the front door 10 in the closed position. When the solenoid 44 is energized in response to a release command from the control device E, the two locking claws 41 are retracted from the movement path of the locked pin 40 to release the locking, and the front door 10 is coiled. Due to the urging force of the spring 13 and the damper action of the hinge 14 with a damper, it slowly swings to the open side, and the lending / returning shelf 11 is raised toward the front of the cabinet, and is placed on the lending / returning shelf 11. Take out the lending article LM for lending or return the lending article L for return
M is configured to switch to a loading / unloading posture suitable for placing the M on the lending / returning shelf 11. When the front door 10 is opened, the energization of the solenoid 44 is stopped, and the locking claw 41 enters the movement path of the locked pin 40. In this state, the front door 10 resists the urging force of the coil spring 13. And manually swinging to the closing side, the locked pin 4
0 is a tapered surface 45 formed at the tip of the locking claw 41
And the locking claw 41 retreats against the urging force,
The locked pin 40 enters the inside of the locking claw 41, the front door 10 is locked in the closed position, and the lending / returning shelf 11 is switched to the transfer position.

Each of the rental exhibition mounting grooves 16 is provided with a mounting surface 16a for slidably moving and supporting the rental article LM in the transfer posture.
A protruding surface 17 which is bent in a U-shape in a side view is formed at the tip side portion of a, so that the lending article LM can be smoothly transferred to and from a transport vehicle 50 described later. The lending article LM placed on the lending article LM is configured to prevent rubbing movement of the lending article LM placed thereon. A pressing plate 12, which is pressed by its own weight in the posture, is attached to be able to swing up and down in a state in which a downward swing range is regulated.

On the lending / returning shelf 11, each lending exhibition mounting groove 1 is provided.
The bar code label of the video cassette VC in the rental article LM is utilized by utilizing a micro switch 19 mounted in a state where the detection piece protrudes from the mounting surface 16a of 6 and the rental exhibition mounting groove 16 or the like. 9 and a bar code reader 20 for reading the bar code of the bar code label BL of the disk DC. The control device E activates the barcode reader 20 when the returned lending article LM is inserted into the lending exhibition mounting groove 16 and the microswitch 19 is turned “ON” by the pressing action of the lending article LM.
As a result of this reading operation, if the reading cannot be performed properly, a warning sound is emitted from the speaker and the rental article L
The display unit 3 displays a guidance to re-insert M into the lending exhibition mounting groove 16 again.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, the lending and transferring apparatus G includes a transport vehicle 50 having two rental and transferring apparatuses J, and a plurality of rental and storing sections 71 for transporting the transport vehicle 50. And a moving device 51 for performing a moving operation to an article transfer position with respect to the rental / return shelf 11. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the lending exhibition transfer device J includes a transfer arm 8 having a pair of locking portions 84 a for locking the upper end of the lending article LM.
4 is provided so as to be able to move back and forth toward the lending exhibition storage unit 71 or the lending / returning shelf 11. For example, when the lending article LM is transferred to the transport vehicle 50 side, first, the upper position of the lending article LM The transfer arm 84 is made to protrude (FIG. 10A). Then, the lending article LM is held by the locking portion 84a of the transfer arm 84.
The transport carriage 50 is lowered by the moving device 51 to a height at which the upper end of the transfer arm 84 can be locked (FIG. 10B).
Is withdrawn, and the lending article LM is pulled into the transport trolley 50 (FIG. 10C).

The moving device 51 can move up and down along substantially the entire vertical height of the rental exhibition storage shelves H along the article loading / unloading side of the front and rear two rental exhibition storage shelves Ha and Hb.
In addition, a drive lift device 53 that drives and raises and lowers an aluminum alloy lift rail 52 having substantially the same length as the width of the rental exhibition storage shelf Hb on the back side of the cabinet, and the transport carriage 50 to the lift rail 52 via a timing belt (not shown). And a traveling electric motor M3 for reciprocating driving along the vehicle.
Is configured to move to a cassette transfer position with respect to the plurality of rental exhibition storage sections 71 and the lending / returning shelf 11 by traveling along the elevating rail 52 and elevating the elevating rail 52.

The drive elevating device 53 includes a cabinet C
A pair of upper and lower pulleys 55a, 55b rotatably supported on the left and right sides around the horizontal axis, and the pulleys 55a, 55b.
The drive shaft 5 that connects the two left and right timing belts 56 wound around the lower pulley 55b to each other.
7 and a guide column 5 that guides the ascending and descending direction by rolling an ascending and descending electric motor M2 linked to the chain 7 and guide rollers 58 for ascending and descending provided at both left and right ends of the ascending and descending rail 52.
9, the left and right timing belts 56 are connected to the left and right ends of the elevating rail 52, and the timing belt 56 is rotated by forward and reverse drive rotation of the elevating electric motor M2 to drive up and down. I have.

Next, the operation of the automatic lending / returning device N under the control of the control device E will be schematically described. As shown in FIG. 11, the control device E is stored in the main control unit 30 that controls the lending / returning operation based on operation information input from the operation unit A, and in each lending exhibition storage unit 71. A storage unit 31 for storing storage data and rental data of the rental articles LM and a transport control unit 32 for controlling the transport operation of the rental exhibition transport device G are provided, and the transport control unit 32 includes a lifting control Device 33, travel control device 34, and transfer control device 35
Are provided.

The user inserts the identification card into the card reader 1
When the user inputs “Lend” or “Return” from the selection button 2, the main control unit 30 displays “Lend”.
If it is input, the process of the lending mode is executed, and if it is "return" input, the process of the return mode is executed. In the return mode, a display for specifying the rental article LM is displayed on the display unit 3, and the presence or absence of the rental article LM is determined based on the information input from the touch panel 3a in accordance with the display.
In addition to the confirmation from the stored data, if there is a rental item LM, the rental fee is displayed on the amount display unit 4. When the displayed fee is input, the rental item LM is transmitted to the transport control unit 32. The lending / exhibiting storage unit 71 to be stored is specified, and a delivery is instructed.

Under the control of the transport control unit 32, the rental articles LM transported by the transport carriage 50 are inserted into the empty rental exhibit mounting grooves 16 of the rental / return shelf 11 which is operated in the transfer posture. When transferred, the solenoid 44 is energized in response to a release command from the main control unit 30, the front door 10 is opened, and the lending / returning shelf 11 is operated in the loading / unloading posture, and the lending / returning shelf 11 is moved. , The receipt printer 7 prints out the receipt and issues it.

In the return mode, the main control unit 30
Solenoid 44 is energized in response to a release command from
The front door 10 is opened, and the empty lending / returning shelf 11 is operated in the loading / unloading posture. When the user inserts the returned article LM into the rental exhibition mounting groove 16, the microswitch 19 detects that, and the main control unit 30 causes the barcode reader 20 to read and operate, and the reading cannot be performed properly. In this case, a warning sound is emitted as described above, and a guidance display indicating that the lending article LM is to be reinserted is displayed. When the barcode reader 20 properly reads the information of the barcode label 9 of the video cassette VC or the barcode label BL of the disk DC through the transparent outer case V or the inner case V1, the information stored in the storage unit 31 is stored. When an additional charge is required from the lending data corresponding to the lending article LM, the additional charge is displayed on the amount display unit 4.

When the additional charge is not required, immediately when the additional charge is required, and when the additional charge is input, the receipt and the like are printed and issued by the receipt printer 7 and issued. The transport control unit 32 is instructed to transport the lending article LM to the predetermined lending exhibition storage unit 71. Under the control of the transport control unit 32, the returned lending article LM is conveyed to the warehouse.

[Other Embodiments] Other embodiments of the present invention will be listed below. In the above embodiment, the barcode label BL includes
Each bar code 8 is arranged such that adjacent ones are in contact with each other, but as shown in FIG.
Are arranged in the radial direction of the virtual circle and are arranged side by side in the circumferential direction of the virtual circle in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment, except that the adjacent barcodes 8 are arranged at least in the radial direction of the virtual circle. At the outer end, they may be arranged apart from each other. In the above-described embodiment, the barcode type identification information display body BL is used to identify the lending article LM in the automatic lending / returning device N. It can be used for various purposes, such as for specifying an article.

In the above-described embodiment, in the case of a rental article LM containing a disk DC, first, the disk DC stored in the inner case V 1 is held in the disk spacer S 2 and stored in the outer case V. However, for example, as shown in FIG. 13, a concave portion SC conforming to the shape of the disk DC itself is formed in the disk spacer S2,
The disk DC itself may be held by the disk spacer S2 and housed in the outer case V.

In the above-described embodiment, the barcode label BL of the disc DC and the barcode label 9 of the video cassette VC have different forms.
A barcode label BL similar to the disk DC may be used for the video cassette VC. By doing so, when sticking the barcode label BL to the video cassette VC, the label direction and the sticking position do not have to be determined so strictly, and the sticking operation can be performed extremely easily. Become.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an attached state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of a rental article according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a rental article according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the automatic lending / returning device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the automatic lending / returning device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of the automatic lending / returning device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a main part according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a main part according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a front view of the rental and carrying device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a transfer operation of lending articles according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an attached state according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory view of a lending article according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 8 Bar code 8a Bar

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A bar code in which a plurality of bar codes displaying the same identification information by arranging linear bars are arranged in the circumferential direction of the virtual circle in such a manner that the bars are arranged in the radial direction of the virtual circle. Expression identification body. 2. The bar code type identification information display according to claim 1, wherein the adjacent bar codes are arranged in contact with each other. 3. The bar code type identification information display according to claim 1, wherein the adjacent bar codes are arranged at least at a radially outer end of the virtual circle so as to be separated from each other. 4. The bar code type identification information display according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of bar codes are arranged at equal pitches in a circumferential direction of the virtual circle.