Registers – Systems controlled by data bearing records – Inventory
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-29
2001-01-16
Le, Thien M. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Systems controlled by data bearing records
Inventory
C235S487000, C235S445000, C235S462010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173892
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for controlling rubber products using identification marking, in order to control rubber products molded using a variety of materials, including a plurality of rubber materials such as tires, tubes, belts, hoses, anti-vibration rubber, rubber crawlers, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known that in the manufacturing process for forming rubber products, in particular tires, there are a plurality of processes such as the molding process, the vulcanization process, the visual inspection process, the size selection process, the balance inspection process, and the like, and that there are many types of rubber materials and other materials used. If the effects of a defective material extend to the later processes, then other non-defective materials are wasted, and later processes become extremely complicated, even if the defective material is discovered in the final inspection.
Therefore, it is optimal to discover defective products in the earliest stages by providing an inspection process at the completion of each process. If necessary, it is possible to know the record of the content of the inspection and the results for each process by maintaining a so-called chart for each tire for a certain period.
On the other hand, it is proposed to control the process by applying labels with bar-codes thereon to tires before vulcanization, and integrating the labels into the tires by vulcanization, and by reading this bar-code during the selection of tire size in the inspection process after vulcanization. (For example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 61-27711, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open (JP-U) No. 5-90539).
Product control using identification marking by bar-code and the like, as described above, can easily be employed throughout the entire manufacturing process.
On the other hand, after manufactured tires are shipped, they are normally controlled in lots, however, in the case of airplane tires (hereinafter called AP tires), they are controlled individually and are returned to the manufacturer when their period of use has expired. The returned tires are recapped by having their treads replaced and, in some cases, are shipped again as recapped tires. Because of this, in the case of AP tires, it is necessary to maintain a record of the early stages of a manufactured tire.
However, there is no control system, which directly links the record of a tire in the manufacturing stage with the record of the tire after shipping, thus there is the problem that it is difficult, for example, to respond to information or demands from customers adequately and rapidly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In consideration of the above facts, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rubber products control method whereby defective materials can be prevented from proceeding to the latter processes of a manufacturing process, and where information or demands from customers can be fed back adequately and rapidly to the manufacturing process, by implementing a control system directly linking the history of a product in the manufacturing stage and the history of the product after shipping, through identification marking.
In the first aspect of the present invention, rubber products are controlled using identification marking by: manufacturing rubber products using a variety of materials including a plurality of rubber materials, shipping said rubber products with a first identification marking given thereto, and controlling manufacturing information, sales information, and distribution information at the point of manufacture based on said first identification marking.
According to the first aspect, manufacturing information, sales information, and distribution information, which hitherto were controlled separately at the manufacturing stage and the post shipping stage, can be integrated and controlled based on identification markings given to the rubber products. For example, if it were necessary to obtain the manufacturing information of a rubber product from the distribution information, this could be investigated rapidly based on the first identification marking.
Thus, by having a control system which directly links the record in the manufacturing stage (manufacturing information) and the record after shipping (shipping information, distribution information), it is possible, for example, to enable the information or demands from customers to influence the manufacturing process, and a rapid, adequate response to be made.
Namely, the first aspect implements a control system which directly links the record of a product in the manufacturing stage and the record thereof after shipping, and allows demand and the like from customers to be fed back adequately and rapidly to the manufacturing process.
In the second aspect, rubber products are controlled using identification marking, according to the first aspect, by a method wherein the first identification marking is given during the molding process. The rubber products are controlled by using the first identification marking, and by using the inspection results recorded from a manufacturing process prior to a particular manufacturing process from molding to shipping inspection, and including vulcanization and size selection.
According to the second aspect, by using the first identification making to control the manufacturing processes, it is possible to establish a control system which directly links the record of the manufacturing stages during and after the molding process (manufacturing information) and the record after shipping (shipping information and distribution information).
In the third aspect, rubber products are controlled using identification marking, according to the second aspect, by a method wherein a second identification marking is given to each of the rubber materials constituting the rubber product during a manufacturing process prior to molding, and the products are controlled by relating the first identification marking to the second identification marking.
According to the third aspect, it is possible to have a control system which directly links the history of the materials used at a stage before the molding process, and the history at a manufacturing stage after the molding process.
Namely, according to the second and third aspects, it is possible to prevent defective materials from affecting later processes.
In the fourth aspect, rubber products are controlled using identification marking, according to one of the first to third aspects by: forming renewable rubber products by replacing a portion of the rubber material of returned rubber products, the record of said rubber products is understood from the first identification marking given to the returned rubber products at the time of renewing said rubber products, and indicating a renewal process program with optimal conditions to the manufacturing process based on the understood record, the renewed rubber product is shipped with a third identification marking given, and the manufacturing information, sales information, and distribution information are controlled at the point of manufacture according to the first and third identification markings.
According to the fourth aspect, in cases where a shipped rubber product is returned and a portion of the rubber material replaced, as in the first aspect, by directly linking the record during the manufacturing stages (manufacturing information) and the record after shipping (shipping information, distribution information), the record of the rubber product based on the first identification marking given to the returned rubber product can be understood during the renewal of the rubber product, and a renewal process program with optimal conditions can be indicated to the manufacturing process.
Namely, in the fourth aspect, it is possible to indicate a renewal process program with optimal conditions to the manufacturing process by understanding the record of a rubber product, during the
Bridgestone Corporation
Felten Daniel S
Le Thien M.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
LandOfFree
Rubber product control method using identification marking does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Rubber product control method using identification marking, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Rubber product control method using identification marking will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2462067