System and method for improved quality management in a product logistic chain
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for producing a plurality of product quality indicators, each operative to provide a machine-readable indication of exceedence of at least one threshold, the apparatus comprising:
- a first roller for placement thereon of a transparent substrate strip;
a second roller for placement thereon of an opaque substrate strip;
a third roller for placement thereon of a substrate strip having formed thereon a plurality of ink impregnated areas;
means for maintaining said substrate strip having formed thereon a plurality of ink impregnated areas under controlled conditions prior to use;
a printer, for printing a plurality of bar code defining layers on said transparent substrate strip, said plurality of bar code defining layers each including a barcode in a first readable state and a plurality of transparent areas alongside said barcode in said first readable state; and
a joiner, for joining said at least one transparent substrate strip, said opaque substrate strip and said substrate strip having formed thereon a plurality of ink impregnated areas to form said plurality of product quality indicators, each of said plurality of product quality indicators including one of said plurality of barcodes in a first readable state and one of said plurality of ink impregnated areas,each of said plurality of ink impregnated areas being operative upon exceedence of said at least one threshold to color a portion of said at least one opaque substrate strip, thereby causing each of said product quality indicators to assume a second readable state.
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Abstract
A quality management system for products including a multiplicity of product unit specific indicators, each operative to provide a machine-readable indication of exceedence of at least one threshold by at least one product quality determining parameter, an indicator reader operative to read the product unit specific indicators and to provide output indications and a product type specific indication interpreter operative to receive the output indications and to provide human sensible, product unit specific, product quality status outputs.
237 Citations
5 Claims
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1. Apparatus for producing a plurality of product quality indicators, each operative to provide a machine-readable indication of exceedence of at least one threshold, the apparatus comprising:
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a first roller for placement thereon of a transparent substrate strip; a second roller for placement thereon of an opaque substrate strip; a third roller for placement thereon of a substrate strip having formed thereon a plurality of ink impregnated areas; means for maintaining said substrate strip having formed thereon a plurality of ink impregnated areas under controlled conditions prior to use; a printer, for printing a plurality of bar code defining layers on said transparent substrate strip, said plurality of bar code defining layers each including a barcode in a first readable state and a plurality of transparent areas alongside said barcode in said first readable state; and a joiner, for joining said at least one transparent substrate strip, said opaque substrate strip and said substrate strip having formed thereon a plurality of ink impregnated areas to form said plurality of product quality indicators, each of said plurality of product quality indicators including one of said plurality of barcodes in a first readable state and one of said plurality of ink impregnated areas, each of said plurality of ink impregnated areas being operative upon exceedence of said at least one threshold to color a portion of said at least one opaque substrate strip, thereby causing each of said product quality indicators to assume a second readable state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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Specification