BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention[0001]
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing/handling fluid component packaged goods, a manufacture/handling instructing data code for use in this method and fluid component packaged goods to which this manufacture/handling instructing data code is affixed. The invention is suitably applied to goods such as a paint can in which paint is filled in particular.[0002]
2. Description of the Related Art[0003]
Trials of introducing a data code such as a bar code and a two-dimensional data code into manufacturing lines of various goods as a manufacturing instructing data code have come to be actively implemented lately to enhance the efficiency for manufacturing goods and to eliminate processing and handling misses during the manufacture.[0004]
For instance, JP-A-57-71151, JP-A-62-28157 and JP-A-4-146649 have disclosed such data code in connection with semiconductor devices, JP-A-59-124469 has disclosed in connection with the production of cars and JP-A-6-178955 has disclosed in connection with painting products. Further, JP-A-6-134656 and JP-A-7-21271 have disclosed a manufacturing instructing data code itself.[0005]
In the technologies disclosed in the above-mentioned publications, the manufacturing instructing data code such as a bar code is affixed to nonprocessed/non-treated goods to process/treat the goods accurately and automatically by reading processing/treatment information directly from the data code or by collating to a computer about the contents of processing/treatment by reading goods identification information on a manufacturing line.[0006]
All of these technologies described abode may be recognized to be able to improve the manufacturing yield and to reduce processing/treatment misses by introducing such manufacturing instructing data code.[0007]
By the way, each of the technologies described above utilizes the data code only in the processing/treatment process of goods. However, there is a packaging line after the manufacturing line for the goods of general size manufactured in the factory line, except of very large goods such as a car, and the factory line cycle ends for the first time after passing through steps of classifying the packaged goods per package and of conveying the packaged goods to predetermined shipping yards in general. Accordingly, it has been desired to introduce something like a “handling instructing data code” also in such handling processes after manufacturing the goods to improve its efficiency and to reduce handling misses.[0008]
However, because the packaged goods can be manufactured normally only in the sequence of packaging the goods after ending the processing/treatment of the goods, the manufacturing instructing data code cannot be affixed to the package. In contrary, even if the handling instructing data code is affixed to the goods, it is difficult to read the code mechanically through the package in general except of an exceptional package such as vacuum packing by means of a transparent film Accordingly, there has been no other way but a method of affixing the manufacturing instructing data code to the goods to be processed/treated and of affixing the handling instructing data code separately to the packaged goods in such a case in introducing the handling instructing data code.[0009]
Accordingly, such method has required to indicate the two kinds of data codes of the manufacturing instructing data code and the handling instructing data code to the two kinds of objects of the product and the package in the separate steps for one packaged goods. Still more, these two kinds of data codes must correspond infallibly because the package must coincide with its content, i.e., the goods. Therefore, there has been a problem from the above-mentioned facts that the data code pasting process and an information processing system of the data using a computer and others are very complicated.[0010]
There has been also no technology in the field of fluid component goods such as paint and various liquid component goods or of solid particulate component goods having fluidity for rationally improving the efficiency of manufacturing, packaging and handling processes and reducing handling misses of the fluid component goods by using the manufacturing instructing data code and the handling instructing data code because it has been considered that the above-mentioned circumstance applies in the same manner in the past.[0011]
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned problems in manufacturing/handing the fluid component packaged goods.[0012]
The inventor of the present application has reached to the following points to be noticed and consummated the present invention while making trials and errors to find the solution of the above-mentioned problems:[0013]
(a) Normal solid goods allow the manufacturing instructing data code to be indicated directly on the goods because the goods themselves have independent spatial configuration and can be processed/treated corresponding to the manufacturing instructing data code as the goods are conveyed on a manufacture line one by one. However, it has the above-mentioned problem because they cannot be processed/treated from the outside of the package in principle.[0014]
(b) Fluid component goods disallows the manufacturing instructing data code to be indicated directly on the goods and cannot be processed/treated in a predetermined manner by dividing and conveying it on the manufacture line one by one. In contrary however, it is possible to manufacture, package and handle the goods by one single data code by indicating the manufacturing instructing data code and the handling instructing data code together on the package when the fluid is filled within a packaging container because it allows at least “processing/treatment after packaging” such as processes for filling and mixing components.[0015]
(c) While a method of producing a predetermined component per product type as a master batch and of separately filling it into individual packaging containers has been normally adopted in the past as a method for producing a number of types of products such as paints, there has been introduced, lately, a method of supplying empty packaging containers on a manufacture line one after another, of filling predetermined components into the individual packaging containers and of mixing them therein to produce the fluid component and the fluid component packaged goods in the same time. The adoption of this method allows the merit of the above item (b) to be actively utilized.[0016]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION(Structure of First Aspect of the Invention)[0017]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the structure of a first aspect of the invention (invention described in claim[0018]1) , there is provided a method for manufacturing/handling fluid component packaged goods comprising steps of manufacturing fluid components of at least two or more types having different contents of composition; manufacturing fluid component packaged goods of two or more types in which the fluid components of two or more types are filled in packaging containers; and handling the fluid component packaged goods of two or more types differently corresponding to their classification. The method further comprises the following conditions 1) through 4):
1) The fluid components of two or more types and the fluid component packaged goods of two or more types are manufactured concurrently by filling the predetermined components corresponding to the classification of the fluid components to and by implementing other necessary processes on individual packaging containers supplied one after another on one and same manufacturing line.[0019]
2) The fluid component packaged goods of two or more types manufactured on the manufacturing line are handled in a predetermined manner corresponding to its classification on a handling line.[0020]
3) A manufacturing/handling instructing data code containing processing information required for manufacturing the fluid components and handling information required for handling the fluid component packaged goods is indicated on the individual packaging containers in advance or in a pre-step of the manufacturing lines[0021]
4) Required processes based on the processing information of the data code are decided and executed in processing stations for manufacturing the fluid components on the manufacturing line and required handling based on the handling information of the data code are decided and executed in handling stations for handling the fluid component packaged goods on the handling line.[0022]
According to the structure of a second aspect of the invention (invention described in claim[0023]2) for solving the above-mentioned problems, there is provided the method for manufacturing/handling the fluid component packaged goods, wherein the fluid component is paint and the fluid component packaged goods are paint goods filled in paint cans in the first aspect of the invention.
According to the structure of a third aspect of the invention (invention described in claim[0024]3) for solving the above-mentioned problems, there is provided the method for manufacturing/handling the fluid component packaged goods, wherein the data code is a bar code or a two-dimensional code printed or pasted on the paint cans in the first or second aspects of the invention.
According to the structure of a fourth aspect of the invention (invention described in claim[0025]4) for solving the above-mentioned problems, there is provided the method for manufacturing/handling the fluid component packaged goods, wherein the processes on the manufacturing line are at least processes for filling the predetermined components into the paint cans and for mixing the paint cans and the process on the handling line is at least a process for classifying the paint goods contained in the cans to predetermined shipping yards in the second or third aspect of the invention.
According to the structure of a fifth aspect of the invention (invention described in claim[0026]5) for solving the above-mentioned problems, there is provided a manufacturing/handling instructing data code which is a data code to be affixed to a package of fluid component packaged goods and which contains at least manufacturing instructing data to be utilized in manufacturing fluid components, i.e., the contents, and handling instructing data to be utilized in handling fluid component packaged goods.
According to the structure of a sixth aspect of the invention (invention described in claim[0027]6) for solving the above-mentioned problems, there is provided fluid component packaged goods, characterized in that the manufacturing/handling instructing data code in the fifth aspect of the invention is affixed on packaging containers thereof.
According to the structure of a seventh aspect of the invention (invention described in claim[0028]7) for solving the above-mentioned problems, there is provided a manufacturing/handling instructing data code which is a data code to be affixed to a paint can goods in which paint is filled and which contains at least manufacturing instructing data to be utilized in manufacturing the paints, i.e., the contents, and handling instructing data to be utilized in handling the paint can goods in which the paints are filled.
According to the structure of an eighth aspect of the invention (invention described in claim[0029]8) for solving the above-mentioned problems, there is provided paint goods contained in cans, characterized in that the manufacturing/handling instructing data code in the seventh aspect of the invention is affixed to the paint cans.
Individual packaging containers for manufacturing fluid components of at least two or more types having different contents of composition are supplied one after another on one and same manufacturing line at first in the method for manufacturing/handling the fluid component packaged goods.[0030]
The multi-type goods are manufactured continuously on and same manufacturing line by undergoing the process for filling predetermined components to these packaging containers corresponding to the classification of the fluid components and other required processes, e.g., a process for mixing the fluid components. Thus, it becomes possible to construct the unique multi-product type concurrent manufacturing method of manufacturing the fluid components of two or more types, different from the normal solid processed goods, and of completing the manufacturing of the packaged goods in the same time.[0031]
The variety of fluid component packaged goods produced out of the manufacturing line are handled next to classify and to send to a predetermined shipping yard (or a stock yard) decided per type of the products for example.[0032]
In such manufacturing/handling cycle of the fluid component packaged goods, the manufacturing/handling instructing data code containing the processing information required for manufacturing the fluid components and the handling information required for handling the fluid component packaged goods are indicated on the individual packaging containers in advance or in the pre-step of the manufacturing line by pasting labels or by printing.[0033]
Accordingly, the processing and handling operations in each station may be decided and executed by reading the section of the manufacturing process information within the manufacturing/handling instructing data code in the processing stations for manufacturing the fluid components and the section of the handling information within the manufacturing/handling instructing data code in the stations for handling the fluid component packaged goods mechanically by using code readers or the like. Thus, it becomes possible to automate the whole manufacturing/handling cycle of the fluid component packaged goods.[0034]
At this time, the merit of the fluid component pointed out in (b) in the section of notified points described above may be realized by combining the method of supplying the empty packaging containers on which the manufacturing/handling instructing data code is indicated to the manufacturing line with the method of carrying out the processes of filling the predetermined fluid components into these individual containers and of mixing them. That is, when the fluid components are contained within the packaging container, it is at least possible to implement “processing/treatment after packaging” such as the processes of filling and mixing the components, so that it becomes possible to manufacture, package and handle the goods by one data code by indicating the manufacturing instructing data code and handling instructing data code together on the package.[0035]
As a result, it becomes unnecessary to indicate the two types of data codes of manufacturing instructing data code and handling instructing data code to the objects of two types of the product and the package in the separate steps for one packaged goods like the prior art. Accordingly, because a check system for assuring the two types of data codes to correspond infallibly from each other is not required, the data code pasting process and a data information processing system using a computer and other may be remarkably simplified.[0036]
The above-mentioned operations and effects may be achieved preferably when the fluid component is paint or other liquid components and when the fluid component packaged goods are paint goods filled in paint cans or other can containers. The above-mentioned operations and effects may be achieved preferably when the manufacturing/handling instructing data code is a bar code or a two-dimensional code printed or pasted on the packaging container such as a paint can.[0037]