BG4356U1 - Cylinder tracking device - Google Patents

Abstract

The cylinder tracking device intended in particular for tracking gas cylinders that find application in medicine, metallurgy, in everyday life, etc. Through it is achieved tracking of gas cylinders by applying, in addition to RFID data tags, barcodes and an NFC identifier, with which significantly increases the capacity of the stored data and is achievable with different reading modes. This device is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, easy to implement, with increased operational lifetime and allows the saved data to be read under any conditions of use or storage of the gas cylinder. The cylinder tracking device comprises a short bushing (10) formed from polycarbonate and fitted around the neck of a gas cylinder by means of a tapered clamping ring (30) with a slit (31). The short bushing (10) carries at least one and in particular four RFID data tags, has an inner central wall (11) forming a circular opening (13), an outer peripheral wall with at least one barcode (6) and an inclined flat surface (15) with an NFC identifier (7).

Description

Field of technique

The present utility model relates to a device for tracking cylinders, and in particular gas cylinders, which find application in medicine, metallurgy, household, etc. areas of industry and agriculture.

Prior art

Currently, the ability to track cylinders, and gas cylinders in particular, is done with a barcode. By reading the barcode with a special reading device, the durability of the cylinders is tracked through various stages of processing. Barcodes are read by humans, so this is an identification system that requires high manual skills.

There is passive RFID technology for protection, so-called radio frequency identification, and it is used in several areas, for example to track clothes in a store and control. This technology allows fast and automatic reading.

However, the application of RFID protection technology to cylinders causes difficulties in that the cylinders have a significant metal mass, which on the one hand favors the reflection of the waves for reading the passive RFIDs, but on the other hand can "hide" them so that they cannot can be read and prevent their 100% traceability. The difficulty is compounded by the way the cylinders are stored (on shelves, tightly packed together), by their shape, and by the fact that cylinders of different heights can be on the same rack.

On the other hand, the use of RFID technology is mandatory for automatic operations and provides the possibility of automatic tracking, for example through the use of portals with RFID reading devices.

Technical nature of the utility model

It is the object of the present utility model to provide a cylinder tracking device that allows the application of RFID data tags to gas cylinders, overcoming the difficulties caused by the characteristics of the cylinders and the way they are stored.

In particular, the purpose of the utility model is to provide such a device that allows its application to gas cylinders, in addition to RFID data tags, also to barcodes and to an NFC identifier for adjacent field data transmission so that significantly to increase the capacity of the data stored in the device, which is achievable with different reading modes and, accordingly, by increasing the possibility of reading the recorded data on the cylinders.

Another object to be achieved with the utility model is to provide such a device which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, easy to apply to the cylinder, durable in use, and which allows the stored data to be read under any conditions of use or storage of the cylinder and in particular the gas cylinder.

These and other objects are accomplished by the cylinder tracking device of the present utility model, which comprises a short sleeve formed of plastic material and mounted around the neck of a gas cylinder. At least one RFID data tag is applied to the short sleeve.

The cylinder tracking device according to a preferred embodiment of the utility model is designed in such a way that four RFID data tags positioned at 90° to each other are placed on the short sleeve.

The cylinder tracking device according to the utility model is also configured such that the interior of the short sleeve is shaped as a hollow chamber with an inner central wall defining a circular opening with dimensions corresponding to those of the neck of the gas cylinder and an outer peripheral wall. An annular bed is formed between the walls of the short sleeve. The at least one RFID data tag is directed to the inner face of the outer peripheral wall of the short sleeve.

In this case, it is preferred that the cylinder tracking device according to the utility model is designed so that the perimeter or outer peripheral wall of the short sleeve has a square profile with rounded tops, which defines four sides, to the inner face on which they are targeted RFID tags with data.

A cylinder tracking device according to the utility model is preferred, wherein the RFID data tags are located on an annular support with projections sized to conform to the internal shape of the short sleeve shaped like a hollow chamber and housed in the annular bed. Here, the RFID data tags face the inner face of the outer peripheral wall of the short sleeve.

Also, the cylinder tracking device according to the utility model is the embodiment such that on the outer face surface of the outer peripheral walls of the short sleeve, at least one barcode is laser engraved, or in particular four barcodes are engraved, respectively on the four outer peripheral walls of the short sleeve sleeve, being located at 90° to each other.

An embodiment of the cylinder tracking device is also provided, according to the utility model, in which at least one NFC identification mark is placed in the short sleeve, and in particular in the region of its inclined flat surface.

Also preferred is a cylinder tracking device according to the utility model in which a tapered clamping ring provided with a slot is provided between the short sleeve and the neck of the gas cylinder.

The cylinder tracking device according to the utility model is also designed such that the short sleeve, the annular support with the projections and the conical clamping ring are made of polycarbonate.

Explanation of the attached figures

The features of the utility model are clarified by the following detailed description, which discloses one embodiment thereof, shown in the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 shows a top perspective view of the short sleeve, according to an exemplary embodiment of the utility model;

Figure 2 presents a horizontal top view projection of the short sleeve with a conical clamping ring mounted therein, according to the embodiment of the utility model;

Figure 3 illustrates a horizontal bottom view projection of the short sleeve with a conical clamping ring mounted therein, according to the embodiment of the utility model;

Figure 4 is a top perspective view of the short sleeve and annular support with projections for RFID data tags, according to the embodiment of the utility model;

Figure 5 is a horizontal top view of the short sleeve and the annular support with projections for the RFID data tags, according to the embodiment of the utility model;

Figure 6 is a schematic partial section of the short sleeve with the corresponding annular support with protruding parts for placing the RFID data tags, for tracking the gas cylinder, according to the utility model;

Figure 7 is a partial side view of the upper part of the gas cylinder in the region of its neck, where the short sleeve is located, over which the protective cap of the gas cylinder is placed, according to the utility model.

Examples of implementation of the utility model

For a more detailed exposition of the cylinder tracking device implemented with a short sleeve according to the utility model, an exemplary embodiment thereof is presented only by way of non-limiting example, as follows:

The short sleeve 10 shown in figures 1 to 3 is made of plastic material and in particular polycarbonate. Figures 1 to 2 also show a conical clamping ring 30 provided with a notch 31, which clamping ring 30, mounted between the short sleeve 10 and the neck 2 of the gas cylinder 1, is intended to secure the short sleeve 10 to the gas cylinder 1. The interior of the short sleeve 10 is shaped in the form of a hollow chamber, with an inner central wall 11 defining a circular opening 13 with dimensions corresponding to those of the neck 2 of the gas cylinder 1 and an outer peripheral wall 12 having a square profile with rounded tops so that four sides are formed, with an annular bed 14 formed between the inner central wall 11 and the outer peripheral wall 12.

The outer peripheral wall 12 of the short sleeve 10 may be differently shaped, for example also with a circular annular profile, although the square shape shown with rounded tops is preferred and is therefore disclosed in this exemplary embodiment of the utility model. The outer peripheral wall 12 of the short sleeve 10 is vertical or slightly inclined outwards, being connected to the inner central wall 11 of the short sleeve 10, also vertical, by an inclined flat surface 15. The height of the short sleeve 10, in particular the height of its outer peripheral wall 12 is selected according to the type of gas cylinder 1, on whose neck 2 the short sleeve 10 must be applied.

The short sleeve 10 is designed for the application of RFID data tags 5 necessary to track the gas cylinder 1, in order to avoid contact with its metal mass. In particular, the RFID data tags 5 are oriented to the inner face of the outer peripheral wall 12 of the short sleeve 10 and are conveniently placed one on each of its four walls, at 90° to each other and at a sufficient distance from the metal mass of the gas cylinder 1.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the RFID data tags 5 may conveniently be located on an annular support 20 with protruding parts, also made of a plastic material and in particular polycarbonate, which is dimensioned in accordance with the shape of the hollow chamber, formed inside the short sleeve 10, between its inner central wall 11 and its outer peripheral wall 12, the ring-shaped stop 20 with the projections is placed in the annular bed 14, and the RFID data tags 5 are placed on the projections of the ring-shaped support 20 and are directed to the inner face of the outer peripheral wall 12 of the short sleeve 10. Hereby, the projecting parts formed to the ring support 20 are made in accordance with the length of the antenna of the RFID data tags 5 to be upright, which does not it has to bend.

The schematic partial section in Figure 6 shows the support 20 with projecting parts housed in the annular bed 14 of the hollow chamber-shaped short sleeve 10, as well as the conical clamping ring 30 located between the short sleeve 10 and the neck 2 of the gas cylinder 1, and -especially between the neck 2 of the gas cylinder 1 and the inner central wall 11 of the short sleeve 10.

On the outer face surface of the four outer peripheral walls 12 of the short sleeve 10 are laser engraved the same number of barcodes 6, whereby an NFC identification mark 7 is placed in the upper inclined flat surface 15 connecting the outer peripheral wall 12 to the inner central wall 11 (see in particular figure 1), and laser engraved barcodes 6 are located on the short sleeve 10 to indicate its position.

In the partial side view of the upper part of the gas cylinder 1 presented in figure 7, it can be seen that in the region of its neck 2 the short sleeve 10 is located, above which a protective cap 4 is placed with a chamber open on both sides with a front cutout 3 formed in it.

The utility model is not limited to the presented exemplary embodiment described above and shown in the figures of the accompanying drawings, and many different modifications may be made thereto within the scope available to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention itself. utility model as defined in the appended claims.

Application of the utility model

After long experiments, it was found that the optimal solution consists in creating a short sleeve 10 of plastic material, in particular polycarbonate, containing four REID data labels 5, which are placed on it, supported by an annular support 20 with projecting parts established in a hollow chamber formed inside the short sleeve 10. There is one NFC identification mark 7 and four barcodes 6 laser engraved on the four sides of the short sleeve 10.

The short sleeve 10, after the RFID data tags 5 have been inserted into it, the NCF identification mark 7 has been placed and the four barcodes 6 have been laser-engraved, is soldered.

The difficulties are mainly related to the choice of the positioning of the RFID data tags 5: RFID data tags 5 directly connected to the gas cylinder 1, even using a model specially designed for application on metal (RFID tags on metal), did not give satisfactory results at the tests, neither when it is used to stick the RFID tags individually nor when they are placed two on each gas cylinder 1. Applying many RFID data tags on the metal surface at the top of the cylinder is not appropriate as it hides the data , which must be visible.

Therefore, it was decided to look for a different solution, leading to the creation of the short sleeve 10, according to the present utility model, which provides the following advantages:

- does not cover the RFID data tags 5 for tracking the gas cylinder 1;

- provides easy reading in any direction of the four RFID tags with data 5;

- in any case, it is of low cost, since a label placed on metal has essentially a significant cost, taking into account the number of characters required. The cost of a tag placed on metallic surfaces is 5-10 times higher than the cost of "normal" RFID data tags that can be applied to non-metallic surfaces and the use of many data tags as well as RFID tags placed on metal surfaces, would lead to high costs. The use of the short sleeve 10 made of polycarbonate allows the RFID data tags 5 to be placed at a distance from the metal surface of the gas cylinder 1 and therefore "normal" RFID data tags for non-metallic surfaces can be used, which have a low cost.

The four RFID data tags 5 and the four barcodes 6 have the same coding identification number. This aspect is important because it allows the gas cylinder 1 to be identified either by a barcode or by an RFID reader, depending on the location or the available technical equipment.

The RFID c data tag 5 can, in addition to the codes on the barcode 6, have other codes because its memory is wider than that of the barcode.

There is a variety of information on the NFC identification marks 7 that can be read directly by an ordinary mobile phone, with the ability to connect to one or more websites to perform operations such as repeat commands or to obtain detailed product or security information .

Polycarbonate was selected as the plastic material for the short sleeve 10 with the RFID data tags 5 , which has passed durability tests estimated to be at least 10 years, for both the RFID data tag 5 and the barcode 6 (e.g. ABS-acrylic-nitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer does not pass durability tests).

The fact that the barcode 6 can be read for 10 years overcomes a problem of practicality and cost, because current barcodes used in this field do not exceed a durability of 2-3 years, after which they fade or become damaged, as as the gas cylinder 1 is often exposed to atmospheric conditions and therefore needs to be replaced frequently, which is associated with corresponding labor costs.

Field readability tests of the RFID data tags 5 on the short sleeve 10 have shown 100% readability, even in configurations of cylinders placed on racks and on cylinders placed in the worst conditions, for example small cylinders located between tall cylinders, i.e. 20-30 cm high cylinders hidden between 40 or 50 liter cylinders more than 1.5 m high.

In the present case, the RFID encoding is blocked after discharge.

While NFC encoding is kept open, a password is required to access it and re-encode. The NFC identifier 7 has fields that are coded in such a way that different information can be written in them to be used as a pointer to websites or to an application that is made for a specific purpose. The diameter of the short sleeve 10 with the RFID data tags 5 is determined taking into account the diameter of the neck 2 of the gas cylinders 1, which is standard. However, there are manufacturing tolerances of the necks 2 of the cylinders 1 which prevent the exact fit of the short sleeve 10 to the neck of the gas cylinder 1. The latter has essentially a manufacturing tolerance of 1-2 mm. Tightening the short sleeve 10 on the neck of the gas cylinder 1 is an important condition to avoid vibrations during transportation of the cylinders 1 and to prevent its accidental removal when removing the protective cap 4 of the gas cylinder 1 (the protective cap 4 of the cylinder 1 is mandatory but may be waived for certain processes or uses).

Therefore, a system for attaching the short sleeve 10 with the RFID data tags 5 to the neck 2 of the gas cylinder 1 was also studied.

The solution found, according to the present utility model, which provides the use of a conical clamping ring 30, which must be inserted and pressed between the short sleeve 10 with the RFID data tags 5 and the neck 2 of the gas cylinder 1. The conical clamping ring 30 is mounted between the neck 2 of the gas cylinder 1 and the short sleeve 10 with the RFID data tags 5 and, once pressed, clamps the short sleeve 10 onto the neck 2 of the gas cylinder 1. The conical clamping ring 30 occupies the space between the neck 2 of the gas cylinder 1 and the short sleeve 10 , created due to the technological manufacturing tolerance of the neck 2 of the cylinder 1. The conical clamping rings 30 are open to facilitate their placement in the space mentioned above and can be made of any material. The material for the conical clamping rings 30 in this case is preferably polycarbonate, i.e. the same material as that of the short sleeve 10.

The purpose of the RFID/NFC security technology used in the short sleeve 10 is to:

- to provide the possibility of tracking with automatic reading of the positions of cylinders, containers, racks, which allows:

• knowledge of the cylinders in certain areas (departments, yards);

• tracking their entire movement;

• organization and automatic reading of loads on vehicles;

• control of containers entering and leaving each location in relation to their arrival at the next location;

• control of the containers that enter and leave each loading station, in connection with their arrival at the next loading station;

• carrying out inspections during storage with reading devices in the area, such as portals or drones;

• registration of the activities on the containers, in relation to the container itself, (for tracking the activities, for safety checks and automatic execution of the operations);

- to have a system that allows activation of the following services:

• control of agencies' and clients' warehouses or stock availability, through the installation of an antenna, a portal or an RFID reading system;

• offering customers the opportunity to store cylinders in their warehouses under control in a better way;

• performing automatic or simplified repeated commands through NFC technology (for example, through a special application);

• having information directly on the cylinder that can be read by a simple mobile phone to have immediate online information on protected data templates, methods of using the product, opening a conversation with people from the supplier company to get technical and commercial information, etc.

Claims (9)

Claims 1. A cylinder tracking device, characterized in that it comprises a short sleeve (10) formed of a plastic material and fitted around the neck (2) of a gas cylinder (1), the short sleeve (2) being fitted with a bit one RFID data tag (5). 2. A cylinder tracking device according to claim 1, characterized in that on the short sleeve (10) four RFID data tags (5) are placed at 90° to each other. 3. A cylinder tracking device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a hollow chamber is formed inside the short sleeve (10) with an inner central wall (11) defining a circular opening (13) with dimensions corresponding to to those of the neck (2) of the gas cylinder (1) and an outer peripheral wall (12), between which an annular bed (14) is formed, wherein at least one RFID data tag (5) is directed to the inner face on the outer peripheral wall (12) of the short sleeve (10). 4. A cylinder tracking device according to claim 3, characterized in that the perimeter or outer peripheral wall (12) of the short sleeve (10) has a square profile with rounded tops which defines four sides, towards the inner face, of which are targeted RFID data tags (5). 5. A cylinder tracking device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that an annular support (20) with projecting parts is provided, which is accommodated in the annular bed (14) and is dimensioned according to the internal shape of the short a sleeve (10) shaped like a hollow chamber, wherein the RFID data tags (5) are located on the projections of the annular support (20) and face the inner face of the outer peripheral wall (12) of the short sleeve (10) . 6. Cylinder tracking device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one barcode (6) or four barcodes are laser engraved on the outer face of the outer peripheral walls (12) of the short sleeve (10) barcode (6), respectively on the four outer peripheral walls (12), being located at 90° to each other. 7. Cylinder tracking device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the short sleeve (10), in the area of its inclined flat surface (15), an NFC identification mark (7) is also placed. 8. A cylinder tracking device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a conical clamping ring (30) provided with a slot (31) is provided, which is pressed between the short sleeve (10) and the neck (2). of the gas cylinder (1). 9. A cylinder tracking device according to claim 8, characterized in that the short sleeve (10), the annular support (20) with the projecting parts and the conical clamping ring (30) are made of polycarbonate.