JP2697049B2 - Laser scanner - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Overview] A bar code reader in the field of distribution and logistics is mounted on a moving counter with the aim of expanding the reading area of code information by changing the installation position and installation direction of the scanner device. A laser scanner for reading code information of a sample to be processed, wherein a scanning device provided with a moving means capable of moving along the gate inside a fixed gate straddling the moving counter, wherein the reading window of the scanner device has the reading window It is mounted on the gate so as to face the movement counter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bar code reader in the field of distribution and physical distribution, and more particularly, to a laser scanner in which a reading area of code information is expanded by changing an installation position and an installation position direction of a scanner device.

[Prior Art] FIG. 3 is a view for explaining an example of a conventional laser scanning method. FIG. 3 (A) shows a case of an operator, and FIG.
Indicates a case using a conveyor.

In FIG. 3 (A), the work table 1 has a reading window in the horizontal direction.
A scanner 2 of a flat installation type on which a 2a is arranged is fixed, and various samples for scanning on the reading window 2a, for example, code information of a product are detected by the scanner 2 and a terminal arranged on the same work table 1 The data is tabulated or displayed on the device 3 or the like.

In such a case, the operator M sequentially moves the products 4a, 4b, 4c,. Are made to face in the direction of the reading window 2a so that the scanner device 2 can read.

In such a case, regardless of the size or shape of the product, or where it is displayed on the barcode,
There is an advantage that the scanner device 2 can read the code information by the operation of the operator M, but there is a disadvantage that an operator is required.

FIG. 2 shows another conventional example for saving this trouble.
Denotes a belt conveyor which conveys goods in the direction D, for example, and a vertical scanner device 6 having a reading window 2a arranged in a vertical direction is fixed to a side of the belt conveyor 5.

In this case, the code information of the commodities 7a and 7b conveyed by the belt conveyor 5 is automatically read by the scanner device 6, so that no special operator is required. The barcode display surface is limited.

Therefore, usually, a plurality of scanner devices are installed on both sides and the upper side of the belt conveyor 5 to cope with the situation.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the conventional laser scanner method, an operator is required to reliably read a barcode of a plurality of products displayed at random positions by a scanner device, or a plurality of scanners are required. There is a problem that it is necessary to add a device.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The problem described above is a laser scanner that reads code information of a sample placed on a moving counter, and the inside of a fixed gate that straddles across the moving counter. The problem is solved by a laser scanner having a scanner provided with a moving means that can move along the gate mounted on the gate such that a reading window faces the moving counter.

[Operation] When the scanner device is moved such that the reading surface of the scanner device faces the peripheral surface of the product while the product is moving on the counter, the scanner device removes at least the bottom surface of the product. All of the code information displayed on the surrounding surface can be read.

According to the present invention, a laser device is provided which has a scanner device provided with a moving means capable of moving along the gate inside a fixed gate having an arch shape crossing the moving counter so that a reading window faces the moving counter. Make up the scanner.

In addition, the scanner device is provided with a rotating means for rotating the reading window in a plane, and the fixed gate can automatically change the height according to the height of the product on the moving counter. A height varying means is mounted to enlarge the code information reading area.

Therefore, by moving the product inside the gate while moving the scanner device along the rail, it becomes possible to read the code information displayed on any one of the entire peripheral surfaces except for at least the bottom surface of the product.

Embodiment FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a laser scanner according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining another embodiment.

In FIG. 1, (A) is a diagram for explaining a basic configuration example, and (B) is a diagram for explaining reading of code information.

In FIG. 1 (A), on a counter 10 which moves in the direction of arrow F shown in the figure, bar codes 11a, 12a and 13a are displayed at random positions, for example, goods 11 of various shapes and sizes. , 12, 13 are installed, and the counter 10
At a predetermined position on both sides in the longitudinal direction, a pair of parallel rails 15 traversing the upper surface of the counter 10 in an arched manner.
The gate composed of a is fixed.

On the other hand, a scanner device 16 provided at both ends with a mechanism 16a that can move along the entire length of the rail 15a with a constant electric signal in combination with each of the rails 15a, Reading window 16b of device 16
Is installed in a direction facing the counter 10.

Therefore, in the laser scanner having such a configuration, when a certain electric signal is applied to the mechanism section 16a, the scanner device 1
6 moves along a trajectory as shown by F '.

In this case, the movement of the scanning device 16 on the rails is, for example, each of the rails 15a is a rack having a tooth shape along its longitudinal direction, and pinions meshing with the tooth shapes are provided at both ends of the scanning device 16. The mechanism 16
This is performed by rotating the pinion with a fixed electric signal after being incorporated in a.

FIG. 1 (B) illustrating the reading status of code information.
(A) is a front view of FIG. 1 (A) viewed from the downstream side of the product, that is, the direction a, and (B) is a plan view of FIG. 1 (A) viewed from above, ie, the direction b. ing.

In (a), the counter moves to the near side in the vertical direction of the paper.
On the counter 10, for example, a product S is placed, and on both sides of the counter 10, an arch-shaped gate 15 that crosses over the counter 10 is fixed.
The pair of rails 15A constitute a mechanism 16a that can move along the rails 15a by a signal from a control unit (not shown).
As shown in FIG. 1 (A), the scanner device 16 provided at both ends with the reading window 16b facing the counter is mounted.

In this case, for example, when code information such as a bar code is displayed on the S1 surface of the product S, the scanner device
It is possible to read the code information while 16 is almost in the area, and when the code information is displayed on the S2 surface, the scanner device displays the information as indicated by the broken line.
When the code 16 is moved, the code information can be read, and when the code information is displayed on the S3 surface, the code information can be read in an area indicated by a dotted line.

Further, in the plan view (b), the same product S (a) is placed on the upper surface of the counter 10 which moves from the right side in the drawing to the direction F in the figure.

Therefore, if the laser beam emitted from the reading window 16b of the scanner device 16 is set in advance on the upstream side of the counter 10, that is, in the direction of intercepting the product (the direction of l1 shown by a dashed line in the drawing), the scanning device 16 If the code information is displayed on the front side of the product S approaching immediately before the S dives through the gate 15, that is, the code information is displayed on the S4 surface, the code information can be read.

While the laser beam emitting direction of the scanner device is kept at (b) 11, the scanner device 16 is moved to the area →→→→ during a time interval when a plurality of products S sequentially pass through the gate 15.
As described above, the code information displayed at any position on the surface except for the bottom surface and the rear surface of the product S can be read.

In FIG. 2 showing another embodiment, (A) shows an example of the entire configuration, and (B) shows a diagram explaining the information reading situation.

In FIG. 2A, bar codes 11a, 12a, 13a, and 14a are provided on a counter 10 that moves in the direction indicated by arrow F in FIG.
Are placed at random positions, for example, products 11, 12, 13, and 14 of various shapes and sizes are the same as in FIG.

At predetermined positions on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the counter 10, parallel pairs of rails 20a straddling across the upper surface of the counter 10 in an arch shape, and attached to each end portion of the pair of rails 20a. The gate 20 including the driving unit 20b is fixed.

Each rail 20a is formed with a tooth profile over its entire length in the longitudinal direction, and the driving unit 20b is provided with a height sensor 21 installed at a predetermined position on the upstream side (right side in the figure) of the movement counter 10, for example. And a pinion that is activated by an electric signal from the rail.
It is configured to mesh with the tooth profile formed on 20a.

The height sensor 21 is composed of light detecting units 12a and 21b arranged on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the counter 10, and a product passing between the light detecting units 21a and 21b is
The height of the product is detected by blocking the optical signal between a and 21b.

Therefore, the pinion of the drive unit 20b attached to each end of the rail 20a is rotated a predetermined number of times by the height detection signal from the height sensor 21, and the two rails 20a are simultaneously shown while being kept parallel. It is configured to move up and down as indicated by an arrow F ″.

On the other hand, on a rail 20a forming a pair of the gate 20, a turntable 22 having a mechanism portion 22a having a built-in pinion that can move on the rail 20a with a certain electric signal by being engaged with the tooth profile is mounted at both ends. Further, a scanner device 23 is mounted on the turntable 22 with its reading window 23a facing inward.

FIG. 2 (B) for explaining the reading status of the code information in such a case, (1) is a front view of FIG. 2 (A) viewed from the direction a, and (2) is also viewed from the direction b. A plan view is shown, and (3) is a side view similarly seen from the c direction.

In (1), a counter that moves forward in the vertical direction of the paper
A product S is fixed on the counter 10, and an arch-shaped gate 20 is fixed on both sides of the counter 10 via a driving unit 20b. A rail 20a of the gate 20 has a mechanism unit that meshes with the rail. A turntable 22 having a turntable 22a is mounted, and a scanner device 23 is fixed to the turntable 22 as in the case of FIG. 2A.

In this case, for example, when code information is displayed on the S1 surface of the product S, the scanner device 23 can read the code information while it is almost in the region, and in the region when the scanner device 23 is displayed on the S2 surface. As described above, the code information can be read in the area where the code information is displayed on the S3 surface.

Also, in FIG. 2 (2) which shows a plan view, a similar product S is placed on a counter 10 which moves in the direction F shown in the figure from the right side of the drawing, and is ejected from a reading window 23a of the scanner device 23. The laser beam is set in advance in the direction of l1 shown by the dashed line in the figure.

Therefore, the scanner device 23 is moved to the front of the product S,
Detecting the S4 surface is as described in FIG.

At this point, the scanner device 23 is
When rotated by 0 degrees, the laser beam emitted from the reading window 23a of the scanner device 23 is on the downstream side of the counter 10, that is, in the direction of sending out the product (the direction of l2 indicated by the two-dot chain line in the figure). Therefore, in this case, immediately after the commodity S has passed through the gate 20, for example, at the position shown by the broken line, the rear surface, that is, S5
The code information of the surface can be detected.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3 (3), when the product on the movement counter 10 is a particularly high product S ', the product S' is placed on the height sensor 21 (see FIG. 2A). Only one side 21a of the light detection unit is displayed), the height of the product S 'is detected, and the detection signal is transmitted to the drive unit 20b, and the pair of rails 20a are both connected to the product S'. Height that can pass,
That is, it rises to the position of 20a 'shown by the broken line in the figure.

Therefore, the product S 'does not hit the rail 20a', and even in the case of a product having a special shape such as the product S ', it is possible to read the display on any surface except the bottom surface thereof.

Note that the time interval at which the goods S sequentially pass through the gate 20 is t.
Then, when the laser beam emission direction of the scanner device is l1, the scanner device 23 is switched from (1) to (t) in time of t / 2.
The product surface is scanned by moving each area of →, and when the product S reaches the center of the gate 20, the scanner device 23 is activated.
When the scanner device 23 is rotated 180 degrees and the laser beam emission direction is set to the l2 direction, and the scanner device 23 is moved in each area of →→ at time t / 2 to scan the product surface, any position except the bottom surface of the product S is obtained. All of the code information displayed in can be read.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a laser scanner which enlarges a reading area where code information displayed on at least one of the entire surfaces except for the bottom surface can be detected by one scanner device. can do.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a laser scanner according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a conventional laser scanning method. In the figure, 10 is a movement counter, 11, 12, 13, 14 are products, 11a, 12a, 13a, 14a are code information, 15, 20 are gates, 15a, 20a are rails, 16, 23 are scanner devices, 16a, Reference numeral 23a denotes a mechanism unit, 16b and 23b denote reading windows, 20b denotes a driving unit, 21 denotes a height sensor, 21a and 21b denote light detection units, and 22 denotes a turntable.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Fumio Yamagishi 1015 Uedanaka, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside Fujitsu Limited (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Ikeda 1015 Kamikodanaka, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Fujitsu Limited

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A laser scanner for reading code information of a sample placed on a moving counter, comprising: a scanning device having a reading window for reading code information input through the reading window; A gate disposed so as to straddle, and a mechanism for moving the scanner device along the gate, wherein the scanner device is mounted on the mechanism with the reading window facing the movement counter, and A laser scanner that moves along a gate. 2. A scanner according to claim 1, further comprising a turntable mounted on said mechanism, said turntable having a rotation surface rotating about a line axis, wherein said scanner device is arranged such that a normal to said reading window coincides with a direction of said rotation axis. 2. The laser scanner according to claim 1, wherein the laser scanner is mounted on a rotation surface of the turntable and rotates about the rotation axis. 3. A driving unit for driving the gate in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the moving counter, and a height sensor for detecting a height of a sample placed on the moving counter, wherein the driving unit is 3. The laser scanner according to claim 1, wherein said gate is driven based on a sample height detection result of said height sensor.