Packaging material roll, packing machine using the roll, and commercial goods processing system with the machine

Abstract

A packaging condition for packaging a product using a film roll is stored in a recording medium, and the packaging condition is read by a recording medium reading device in a rotator of a support shaft. In this case, an operator can set an optimum packaging condition at the time of exchange of packaging rolls regardless of his/her skill. Therefore, even an unskilled operator would not set an erroneous packaging condition which may result in additional time loss and film loss.

1 . A roll of packaging material comprising: 
 a wound strip of packaging material for use in packaging a product; and    a recording medium provided on said wound strip of packaging material, and readably recording packaging related information.    
     
     
         2 . The roll of packaging material according to  claim 1 , wherein said packaging related information includes a packaging condition for packaging the product using said strip of packaging material.  
     
     
         3 . The roll of packaging material according to  claim 1 , wherein said packaging related information includes information related to a material of said strip of packaging material.  
     
     
         4 . The roll of packaging material according to  claim 1 , wherein said packaging related information includes information related to the fabrication of said strip of packaging material.  
     
     
         5 . The roll of packaging material according to claim  1 , wherein said packaging related information includes a packaging material identifier for identifying said strip of packaging material.  
     
     
         6 . The roll of packaging material according to  claim 1 , wherein said packaging related information includes a product identifier for identifying said product to be packaged.  
     
     
         7 . The roll of packaging material according to  claim 1 , wherein said recording medium includes a non-contact recording medium readable in a non-contact fashion.  
     
     
         8 . The roll of packaging material according to  claim 1 , wherein said recording medium includes a contact recording medium readable in a contact fashion.  
     
     
         9 . The roll of packaging material according to  claim 1 , wherein said wound strip of packaging material has a hollow core, 
 said recording medium being provided near the hollow core of said strip of packaging material.    
     
     
         10 . The roll of packaging material according to  claim 1 , wherein said recording medium is provided at an end of or near an end of the outermost periphery of said wound strip of packaging material.  
     
     
         11 . The roll of packaging material according to  claim 1 , wherein said recording medium is provided on a sheet-like member that affixes an end of the outermost periphery of said wound strip of packaging material.  
     
     
         12 . A roll of packaging material comprising: 
 a wound strip of packaging material for use in packaging a product; and    an identification medium provided on said wound strip of packaging material for identifying packaging related information.    
     
     
         13 . The roll of packaging material according to  claim 12 , wherein said identification medium is a metal representing said packaging related information on the basis of a state of the metal contained in said roll of packaging material.  
     
     
         14 . A packaging machine for packaging a product using a roll of packaging material comprising a recording medium that readably records packaging related information, 
 the packaging machine comprising:    a reading device that reads the packaging related information recorded in said recording medium; and    a packaging unit that packages the product using said roll of packaging material based on the packaging related information read by said reading device.    
     
     
         15 . The packaging machine according to  claim 14 , wherein 
 said packaging related information includes a packaging condition for packaging the product,    said reading device reads the packaging condition recorded in said recording medium for packaging the product, and    said packaging unit packages the product according to the packaging condition read by said reading device.    
     
     
         16 . The packaging machine according to  claim 14 , wherein 
 said packaging related information includes a packaging material identifier for identifying said roll of packaging material,    the packaging machine further comprising a storage device that stores beforehand other packaging related information for each packaging material identifier,    said reading device reading the packaging material identifier recorded in said recording medium,    said packaging unit selecting the other packaging related information stored beforehand in said storage device corresponding to the packaging material identifier read by said reading device to package the product.    
     
     
         17 . The packaging machine according to  claim 14 , wherein 
 said packaging related information includes a product identifier for identifying a product to be packaged,    the packaging machine further comprising a storage device that stores beforehand other packaging related information for each product identifier,    said reading device reading the product identifier recorded in said recording medium,    said packaging unit selecting the other packaging related information stored beforehand in said storage device corresponding to the product identifier read by said reading device to package the product.    
     
     
         18 . The packaging machine according to  claim 14 , wherein said reading device includes a non-contact reading device capable of reading contents of said recording medium in a non-contact fashion.  
     
     
         19 . The packaging machine according to  claim 14 , wherein said reading device includes a contact reading device capable of reading contents of said recording medium in a contact fashion.  
     
     
         20 . A packaging machine for packaging a product using a roll of packaging material comprising an identification medium for identifying packaging related information, the packaging machine comprising: 
 a reading device that reads the packaging related information from said identification medium; and    a packaging unit that packages the product using said roll of packaging material based on the packaging related information read by said reading device.    
     
     
         21 . A product handling system comprising: 
 a packaging machine that packages a product using a roll of packaging material having a recording medium that readably records a product identifier for identifying the product to be packaged;    a handling device that operates together with said packaging machine to handle the product;    an operating condition recording device that associates beforehand product identifiers with operating conditions of said handling device for recording; and    a communication device,    said packaging machine comprising:    a reading device that reads a product identifier stored in said recording medium;    a storage device that stores beforehand packaging related information for each product identifier; and    a packaging unit that selects the packaging related information stored beforehand in said storage device corresponding to the product identifier read by said reading device to package the product,    said communication device selecting an operating condition recorded in said recording medium corresponding to the product identifier read by said reading device to supply the selected operating condition to said handling device,    said handling device operating based on the operating condition supplied from said communication device.    
     
     
         22 . The product handling system according to  claim 21 , wherein 
 said handling device supplies said packaging machine with a history of operations based on said operating condition as history information,    said packaging machine making said recording medium record said history information.    
     
     
         23 . A product handling system comprising: 
 a packaging machine that packages a product using a roll of packaging material having an identification medium for identifying a product identifier of a product to be packaged;    a handling device that operates together with said packaging machine to handle the product;    an operating condition recording device that associates beforehand product identifiers with operating conditions of said handling device for recording; and    a communication device,    said packaging machine comprising:    a reading device that reads a product identifier from said identification medium;    a storage device that stores beforehand packaging related information for each product identifier; and    a packaging unit that selects the packaging related information stored beforehand in said storage device based on the product identifier read by said reading device to package the product,    said communication device selecting the operating condition recorded in said identification medium corresponding to the product identifier read by said reading device to supply the selected operating condition to said handling device,    said handling device operating based on the operating condition supplied from said communication device.