Saggered container with a QR code and method for attaching a QR code to the saggered container.
The sagger with a ceramic label adhesion base material layer addresses the issues of attaching two-dimensional codes to crucibles by ensuring strong adhesion and a smooth surface, reducing defects and enabling efficient mass production.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- AKECHI CERAMICS
- Filing Date
- 2024-10-23
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-11
AI Technical Summary
Existing methods for attaching two-dimensional codes to crucibles used in high-temperature applications, such as ceramic fired bodies, result in warping, air intrusion, and dissolution, leading to unreadable codes and high defect rates, which hinder mass production.
A sagger with a ceramic label adhesion base material layer formed from a mixture of alumina, silica, spinel, and cordierite powders, onto which a ceramic label with a two-dimensional code is fixed and fired, ensuring strong adhesion and a smooth surface.
The solution enables readable two-dimensional codes with reduced defects, facilitating mass production by preventing warping, air intrusion, and dissolution, thus improving the reliability and efficiency of individual management.
Smart Images
Figure 2026075745000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a two-dimensional code-attached crucible with a two-dimensional code and a method for attaching the two-dimensional code to the crucible.
Background Art
[0002] Conventionally, two-dimensional codes (e.g., QR codes (registered trademarks), barcodes, data matrices, etc.) have been attached to products for individual management. However, it has been difficult to attach these two-dimensional codes in a readable manner to crucibles (containers for firing ceramic fired bodies) that are used at high temperatures, and thus they have not been used.
[0003] On the other hand, regarding the individual management of crucibles, there have been proposed an identification structure for a firing crucible in which a cut groove constituting an identification code is formed at a predetermined part of the crucible (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-94375), and an identification structure for a firing crucible in which a reaction-preventing base film mainly composed of zirconia is formed on at least a marking formation surface of a crucible body made of ceramic, and an identification mark mainly composed of iron oxide powder having a purity of 90% or more is formed on the base film (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-42884).
[0004] However, when a two-dimensional code is attached to a crucible and fired, as shown in FIG. 7, the two-dimensional code is warped due to the unevenness of the surface of the crucible body, or as shown in FIG. 8, air intrudes into the gap due to insufficient adhesion between the two-dimensional code and the surface of the crucible body, causing bubbles to burst, or as shown in FIG. 9, the two-dimensional code is dissolved due to poor penetration to the surface of the crucible body, resulting in a large amount of defective products that cannot be read. In addition, the identification structures of the firing crucibles disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-94375 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-42884 have problems in mass production.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0005]
Patent Document 1
[0006] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a saggar with a two-dimensional code that is readable, reduces the occurrence of defective products, and facilitates mass production, as well as a method for attaching a two-dimensional code to a saggar. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] The solution to the above problem is a saggar with a two-dimensional code, characterized by having a base material layer for ceramic label adhesion formed on a required part of the saggar body, and a ceramic label with a two-dimensional code fixed to the surface of the base material layer for ceramic label adhesion (Claim 1).
[0008] The ceramic label adhesion base material constituting the ceramic label adhesion base material layer is preferably formed by adding a binder to a mixed powder containing 5-40% by weight of alumina powder, 5-20% by weight of silica powder, 0-70% by weight of spinel powder, and 5-30% by weight of cordierite powder to form a slurry (Claim 2).
[0009] Furthermore, a method for attaching a two-dimensional code to a saggar that solves the above problems is characterized by comprising a surface treatment step of forming a base material layer for ceramic label adhesion on a required part of the saggar body, a label attachment step of attaching a ceramic label with a two-dimensional code to the surface of the base material layer for ceramic label adhesion, and a firing step of firing the saggar body to which the ceramic label with the two-dimensional code has been attached to fix the ceramic label with the two-dimensional code to the saggar body (Claim 3).
[0010] The ceramic label adhesion base material constituting the ceramic label adhesion base material layer is preferably formed by adding a binder to a mixed powder containing 5-40% by weight of alumina powder, 5-20% by weight of silica powder, 0-70% by weight of spinel powder, and 5-30% by weight of cordierite powder to form a slurry (Claim 4). [Effects of the Invention]
[0011] The saggar with a two-dimensional code described in claim 1 is a saggar with a two-dimensional code that is readable, reduces the occurrence of defective products, and facilitates mass production. According to the saggar with a two-dimensional code described in claim 2, it is possible to construct a ceramic label adhesion base material layer that has higher adhesion to the two-dimensional code and can form a smoother surface between itself and the two-dimensional code. According to the method for attaching a two-dimensional code to a sagger described in claim 3, the two-dimensional code can be attached in a readable manner, reducing the occurrence of defective products and facilitating mass production. According to the method for attaching a two-dimensional code to a sagger described in claim 4, it is possible to construct a ceramic label adhesion base material layer that has higher adhesion to the two-dimensional code and can form a smoother surface between the ceramic label and the two-dimensional code. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0012] [Figure 1] This is a partial cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a saggar with a two-dimensional code according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a front view photograph of one embodiment of the two-dimensional code-equipped saggar of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a close-up photograph of the two-dimensional code (QR code® portion) of the saggar with a two-dimensional code shown. [Figure 4] This is a manufacturing process chart for one embodiment of the method for attaching a two-dimensional code to a sagger according to the present invention. [Figure 5] This table illustrates the defect rate of the two-dimensional code-equipped saggars in the example. [Figure 6]This is a table for explaining the defect rate of the square pot with a two-dimensional code of the comparative example. [Figure 7] This is a photograph for explaining a defective example of the square pot with a two-dimensional code. [Figure 8] This is a photograph for explaining another defective example of the square pot with a two-dimensional code. [Figure 9] This is a photograph for explaining another defective example of the square pot with a two-dimensional code.
Embodiment for Carrying out the Invention
[0013] In the present invention, the square pot 1 with a two-dimensional code of the present invention has a ceramic label adhesion base material layer 3 formed at a required part of the square pot body 2 and a ceramic label 4 with a two-dimensional code fixed on the surface of the ceramic label adhesion base material layer 3. Thus, the two-dimensional code can be read, the occurrence of defective products can be reduced, and a square pot 1 with a two-dimensional code and a method for attaching a two-dimensional code to a square pot that are easy to mass-produce are realized.
Examples
[0014] The square pot with a two-dimensional code of the present invention and the method for attaching a two-dimensional code to a square pot will be described using an example shown in FIGS. 1 to 5. As shown in FIG. 1, the square pot 1 with a two-dimensional code of this example has a ceramic label adhesion base material layer 3 formed at a required part of the square pot body 2 and a ceramic label 4 with a two-dimensional code fixed on the surface of the ceramic label adhesion base material layer 3. Hereinafter, each component will be described in detail in sequence.
[0015] The ceramic label adhesion base material layer 3 is provided to improve the adhesion of the ceramic label 4 with a two-dimensional code. In this example, as shown in FIG. 2, it is formed at a required part (the front side wall surface of the square pot body 2) of the square pot body 2 (a bottomed rectangular cylinder with an open upper end). However, the part where the ceramic label adhesion base material layer is provided is not limited to the front side wall surface of the square pot body 2, and any part on the surface of the square pot body 2 may be used.
[0016] The base material layer 3 for ceramic label adhesion consists of a base material for ceramic label adhesion, which is a material that improves the adhesion between the ceramic label 4 with a two-dimensional code and the base material for ceramic label adhesion. By applying the base material for ceramic label adhesion, the unevenness on the surface of the crucible body 2 is corrected, preventing the two-dimensional code from being distorted due to the unevenness (Figure 7), preventing air from entering the gap due to insufficient adhesion between the two-dimensional code and the surface of the crucible body 2 and causing the bubbles to burst (Figure 8), and further preventing the dissolution of the two-dimensional code due to poor penetration of the crucible body 2's surface (Figure 9), enabling reading.
[0017] As the base material for ceramic label adhesion, a slurry obtained by adding a binder to a mixed powder containing 5 - 40 wt% alumina powder, 5 - 20 wt% silica powder, 0 - 70 wt% spinel powder, and 5 - 30 wt% cordierite powder can be preferably used.
[0018] In the above mixed powder, the alumina powder is added to improve heat resistance. If the alumina powder is less than 5 wt%, the heat resistance is insufficient, and if it exceeds 40 wt%, the melting of the base is suppressed, and the effect as a base material is lost.
[0019] The silica powder is added to impart adhesiveness and smooth the surface. If the silica powder is less than 5 wt%, the adhesiveness is insufficient, and if it exceeds 20 wt%, the smoothness decreases.
[0020] The spinel powder is added to suppress the penetration of the printed matter. If the spinel powder exceeds 70 wt%, the melting of the base is suppressed, and the effect of the base material is lost.
[0021] The cordierite powder is added for heat-resistant spalling resistance. If the cordierite powder is less than 5 wt%, the heat-resistant spalling resistance is insufficient, and if it exceeds 30 wt%, the density decreases.
[0022] The above mixed powder may be newly formulated, or the dried and ground product or the calcined and ground product used during the manufacture of the saggars may be used. Furthermore, a CMC solution, for example, can be suitably used as a binder. In addition, dilute hydrochloric acid may be added to prevent separation of solids and liquids in the slurry.
[0023] The ceramic label 4 with a two-dimensional code is a ceramic label having a two-dimensional code for attaching the two-dimensional code to the saggar body 2. Any two-dimensional identification mark that enables individual management of the saggar body 2 can be used as the two-dimensional code, but combinations of QR codes (registered trademark), data matrices, barcodes, numbers, letters, etc. are preferably used.
[0024] The ceramic label 4 with a two-dimensional code is attached to the surface of the ceramic label adhesion base material layer 3 and then fired, thereby fixing it to the surface of the ceramic label adhesion base material layer 3 as shown in Figures 1 to 3. As a result, the saggar 1 with a two-dimensional code in this embodiment has a readable two-dimensional code, reduces the occurrence of defective products, and is easy to mass-produce.
[0025] Next, the method for attaching a two-dimensional code to a sagger according to the present invention will be explained using an embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4. The method for attaching a two-dimensional code to a sagger 1 in this embodiment includes a surface preparation step of forming a ceramic label adhesion base layer 3 on the required parts of the sagger body 2, a label attachment step of attaching a ceramic label 4 with a two-dimensional code to the surface of the ceramic label adhesion base layer 3, and a firing step of firing the sagger body 2 with the ceramic label 4 attached to fix the ceramic label 4 with the two-dimensional code to the sagger body 2. Each step will be described in detail below.
[0026] The method for attaching the two-dimensional code to the saggar 1 in this embodiment is performed after the drying process during the manufacturing process of the saggar shown in Figure 4. However, the method for attaching the two-dimensional code to the saggar of the present invention is not limited to this, and methods performed after the firing process of the saggar itself, and after the surface treatment process and label application process, firing with a gas burner or the like, are also included in the scope of the present invention.
[0027] In the surface preparation step for forming a ceramic label adhesion base layer 3 on the required parts of the saggar body 2, as shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2, the ceramic label adhesion base material is applied to the required parts of the saggar body 2 (the front side wall surface of the saggar body 2) to form a smooth surface and perform the surface preparation.
[0028] As a base material for ceramic label adhesion, a mixture of powders containing 5-40% by weight of alumina powder, 5-20% by weight of silica powder, 0-70% by weight of spinel powder, and 5-30% by weight of cordierite powder, to which a binder is added to form a slurry, is preferably used.
[0029] In the label application process, a ceramic label 4 with a two-dimensional code is applied to the surface of a ceramic label adhesion base material layer 3. The ceramic label 4 is applied to the surface of the slurry-like ceramic label adhesion base material layer 3.
[0030] The ceramic label 4 with a two-dimensional code is a ceramic label having a two-dimensional code for attaching the two-dimensional code to the saggar body 2. Any two-dimensional identification display that enables individual management of the saggar body 2 can be used as the two-dimensional code, and combinations of QR codes (registered trademark), data matrices, barcodes, numbers, letters, etc., can be suitably used. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, a combination of a QR code (registered trademark) and numbers is used.
[0031] In the firing process, which involves firing the sagger body 2 to which the ceramic label 4 with a two-dimensional code is attached, the sagger body 2 with the ceramic label 4 attached is placed in the furnace and fired at a firing temperature of 1000°C or higher for 9 to 18 hours. As a result, the ceramic label 4 with the two-dimensional code is fired together with the sagger body 2, the ceramic label 4 with the two-dimensional code is fixed to the sagger body 2, the two-dimensional code becomes readable, the occurrence of defective products can be reduced, and the sagger body 1 with a two-dimensional code can be easily mass-produced.
[0032] (Comparison test of defect rates) (Examples) A ceramic label adhesion base layer 3 was formed on a molded saggar using a slurry prepared by adding a binder (CMC solution) and dilute hydrochloric acid to a mixed powder containing 20% by weight of alumina powder, 12.5% by weight of silica powder, 50% by weight of spinel powder, and 15% by weight of cordierite powder, as a base material for ceramic label adhesion. A ceramic label 4 with a two-dimensional code (ceramic label manufactured by Sigmax Co., Ltd.: CeraLabel® registered trademark) was attached to its surface, and the product was placed in a furnace and fired at a firing temperature of 1000°C or higher for 18 hours to produce the example. For this test, we used QR Code (registered trademark) (error correction level H) as the two-dimensional code, and any QR code that could not be read by a QR reader (registered trademark) or that took more than 5 seconds to read was considered defective.
[0033] (Comparative example) On the other hand, a comparative example was prepared by following the same process as the example, except that the surface treatment process of forming a ceramic label adhesion base layer 3 on the required parts of the sagger body 2 was omitted.
[0034] (Test results and discussion) As shown in Figure 5, out of 3779 examples, 94 could not read the two-dimensional code, resulting in a defect rate of 2.5%.
[0035] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 6, in the comparative example where the surface treatment process was not performed, in the first test, 55 out of 199 comparative examples could not read the two-dimensional code, resulting in a defect rate of 27.6%. In the second test, 35 out of 134 comparative examples could not read the two-dimensional code, resulting in a defect rate of 26.1%.
[0036] (Consideration) From the results of the above defect rate comparison test, the defect rate of saggars having a ceramic label adhesion base material layer or saggars manufactured through a surface treatment process to form the ceramic label adhesion base material layer (Example) was less than 1 / 10 of that of saggars without the ceramic label adhesion base material layer 3 or saggars manufactured without the surface treatment process to form the ceramic label adhesion base material layer (Comparative Example). As a result, it was confirmed that the two-dimensional code in Example was more readable than in Comparative Example, and that the occurrence of defective products was significantly reduced. [Explanation of symbols]
[0037] 1. Sagger with QR code 2. Saggered bowl body 3. Base layer for ceramic label adhesion 4. Ceramic label with QR code
Claims
1. A saggar with a two-dimensional code, characterized by having a base layer for ceramic label adhesion formed on a required part of the saggar body, and a ceramic label with a two-dimensional code fixed to the surface of the base layer for ceramic label adhesion.
2. The ceramic label adhesion base material constituting the ceramic label adhesion base material layer is formed by adding a binder to a mixed powder containing 5 to 40% by weight of alumina powder, 5 to 20% by weight of silica powder, 0 to 70% by weight of spinel powder, and 5 to 30% by weight of cordierite powder to form a slurry, as described in claim 1 for the saggar with a two-dimensional code.
3. A method for attaching a two-dimensional code to a saggar, characterized by comprising: a surface preparation step of forming a base material layer for ceramic label adhesion on a required part of the saggar body; a label application step of attaching a ceramic label with a two-dimensional code to the surface of the base material layer for ceramic label adhesion; and a firing step of firing the saggar body to which the ceramic label with the two-dimensional code has been attached to fix the ceramic label with the two-dimensional code to the saggar body.
4. The method for attaching a two-dimensional code to a sagger according to claim 3, wherein the ceramic label adhesion base material constituting the ceramic label adhesion base material layer is formed by adding a binder to a mixed powder containing 5 to 40% by weight of alumina powder, 5 to 20% by weight of silica powder, 0 to 70% by weight of spinel powder, and 5 to 30% by weight of cordierite powder to form a slurry.