JPS6290690A - Cargo attachment label used in cargo sorting information identification device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a label for attaching cargo to be used in an information identification device for cargo sorting.

[Prior art and its problems]

Traditionally, courier cargo is affixed with a label displaying a code number corresponding to the recipient's address at the courier service agency.
They are collected at a collection and delivery center, where workers read the code number or recipient address on the label, and sort them by operating a keypad connected to the device.
Sorting is carried out by driving the equipment.

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

Under these circumstances, conventional sorting devices have the following drawbacks. In other words, (1) workers are required to work at night;

(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 cannot be delivered within the specified delivery days, which is a serious drawback.

[Purpose of the invention]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to improve the above-mentioned drawbacks, an object of the present invention is to provide a sensor that can reliably read labels attached to cargoes with different box shapes, regardless of the label position. The purpose of cargo sorting, which automatically sorts cargo of various shapes and sizes based on signals, is to provide labels for attaching cargo to be used in equipment.

[Summary of the invention]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to the present invention, cargo sorting uses a fluorescent ink that emits fluorescence when irradiated with ultraviolet rays on one side of a cargo attachment label that is attached to cargo to be sorted using an information identification device. A cargo affixing label is provided, the cargo label having a code numeral in plain ink printed on the fluorescent ink.

〔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 in which an apparatus is used to sort cargo to which the cargo affixing label of the present invention is affixed.

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 attached to the top surface of the cargo 3. This cargo 3 is collected by truck at the collection and delivery center (collection/major classification), and at the collection and delivery center, it is sorted by device 1.
0, the cargo is sorted into each destination according to major classification, and the sorted cargo is sent to a collection and delivery center (delivery/minor classification) by each truck. At this collection and delivery center, the cargo 3 is sorted into smaller pieces by a device 10 and delivered to each home by truck.

The cargo sorting apparatus will now be described with reference to FIG. 2. The sorting apparatus 10 has a conveyor system consisting of a belt 16 suspended over rollers 12,14. The belt 16 is driven by a motor (not shown) in the direction of the arrow Δ, 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 transport path of the conveyor, a height sensor 22, which will be described later, and a first lighting device 2 are provided.
4. The frame 18 for mounting the first sensor 28 is arranged. The frame 18 includes four vertical members 18a,
It is composed of four top members 18b1 and four bottom members 18c, with a first member approximately in the middle of the vertical member 18a.
A lighting neckpiece 24 is attached (slipping), and height sensors are arranged on both sides of the first lighting device 24.A horizontal bar member 18d is attached to the top member 18b, and this The first sensor 28 is attached to the bar part tt18d.

The first lighting device preferably includes a mercury lamp, irradiates the entire surface of the conveyor with ultraviolet rays from the bottom surface, and has a vertical slit 26 extending laterally in the center of the slit. Only the visible light reflected from the label portion is allowed to pass and is directed to the first sensor 28.

Note that the first lighting device has one side open and has a vertical slit 26.
Alternatively, the first sensor 28 may read the visible light reflected by the line scanning.

The height sensor 22 is made up of a large number of vertically arranged light-emitting elements and light-receiving elements arranged opposite to each other on both sides of the conveyor, and detects the height of the passing cargo 3 based on whether or not the light-receiving elements are blocked from light. , sends the signal to a first processor to be described later.

As shown in FIG. 3, one corner of the label 1 is diagonally cut out at 5A to indicate the direction of the label, and the background is coated with fluorescent ink. The code digits of the collection point that will deliver to the address of the recipient of the segment type are printed in regular ink.

The first sensor 28 may be any device as long as it can receive the light beam passing through the slit 26 and scan the moving label line by line, but is preferably a CC sensor.
It consists of an image sensor consisting of a D (charge coupled device). This first sensor 28 is for detecting the orientation and position of the label in the width direction (wrapping direction), 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, a frame 20, which is substantially similar to frame 18, is arranged downstream of the conveyor. The frame 20 includes four vertical parts F 20a, four top members '2Qb, and four
It is composed of two bottom members 20C, and a vertical member 20C.
A second lighting device 30 having a vertical slit 32 configured in substantially the same manner as the first lighting device 24 is attached to one of the top members 20b, and a second sensor driving device 5 is attached to one of the top members 20b.
A second sensor 34 is attached via 0. In addition,
Similarly to the first lighting device 24, the second lighting device 30 may also have a configuration in which one side is open and the vertical slit 32 is not provided. 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, in the following, a commonly used embodiment will be described.
It consists of a ball screw 36b disposed in a guide 36c, and a servo motor 36a that drives the nut of the ball screw.The nut is moved up and down along the guide by driving the motor, and the second sensor swinging device 38 is , a worm 38b attached to the rotating shaft of the motor 38a, and a worm 38b attached to the rotating shaft of the motor 38a.
and a worm gear 38c engaged with the worm gear 38c, and 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 38H, and can be positioned at a certain angle with respect to the vertical. .

The second sensor 34 is preferably configured with a CCD image sensor like the first sensor 28, and like the first sensor, it scans the light beam passing through the slit 32 of the second illumination device 32 line by line. It is composed of

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

This 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 disc 44 and a photo ink bar 46 is provided on the rotating shaft of the roller 14, and a pulse signal is supplied to a timing sensor (not shown) to operate the second sensor. This is used to determine the timing of scanning of the first sensor and the second sensor.

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

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the cargo affixing label of the present invention will now be described.Label 1, as shown in FIG. is attached by printing or the like, and code numbers are further printed using ordinary ink using a label printer at the delivery service store.

The label printed with code numbers is thus irradiated with ultraviolet light, and the signal from it is sent to an image input device (-1-dimensional line sensor or 2-dimensional CCD) via a second sensor.
(camera) (not shown), but the image input device recognizes the background of the label as a bright area, and the code number is memorized because it prevents the emission of fluorescent light. In addition, the surface of the cargo other than the label is recognized as a dark area.In this way, the label of the present invention can be used for cargo sorting.
It is suitable for use in an information identification device.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention prints fluorescent ink on the label in advance and uses it as a background, and then prints code numbers in ordinary ink, so that bright and dark areas are printed in both bright and dark areas. Since cargo sorting can be clearly separated, cargo sorting can be effectively used in information identification devices.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a delivery system of a courier service in which the cargo sorting apparatus of the present invention is used. 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-powered device. 1...Label, 2...Label printer, 3
・・・Cargo, 16...Conveyor, 22...
・Height sensor, 28...1st sensor, 34...
Second sensor. Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] Cargo attachment labels that are affixed to cargo that is sorted by a cargo sorting information identification device have fluorescent ink on one side that emits fluorescence when exposed to ultraviolet light, and code numbers in regular ink are printed on the fluorescent ink. A label for attaching cargo, characterized in that the label is configured to be attached to cargo.