JP2008052667A - Container with ic tag - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a container with an IC tag for surely communicating with an IC tag regardless of the types of storage objects. <P>SOLUTION: This container with an IC tag is provided with a container part 20 formed of non-metallic materials, and equipped with a space section in which the storage object C is stored and a wall section 21 for separating the space section from the outside; an IC tag 30 installed at the outside face section of the wall section 21; and a metallic part 40 formed of metallic materials, and installed on the face section of the space section side of the wall part 21, and arranged so as to be overlapped with the IC tag via the barrier part 21. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a container with an IC tag provided with a non-contact IC tag.

The non-contact IC tag is also referred to as an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, and can write or read various information in a non-contact manner using a dedicated communication device.
Such an IC tag is useful for managing goods in each field such as transportation, factory process management, and distribution. For example, an IC tag is attached to a container for logistics and is accommodated in the container by the IC tag. There is known a system for managing products and the like (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2001-322718 A

Here, when the IC tag is attached to, for example, a container filled with water or an article containing moisture, there is a problem in that radio waves are absorbed by water and the communicable distance with the communication device is reduced. Therefore, when using an IC tag attached to a container, there is a possibility that information held by the IC tag cannot be acquired if an article accommodated in the container is, for example, a product containing moisture.
The subject of this invention is providing the container with an IC tag which can communicate reliably with an IC tag irrespective of the kind of accommodation target object.

The present invention solves the above problems by the following means.
The invention according to claim 1 is formed of a non-metallic material, and includes a container part including a space part in which an object to be stored is stored, and a wall part that separates the space part from the outside, and the outer side of the wall part. An IC tag provided on the surface portion; and a metal portion formed of a metal material and provided on a surface portion of the wall portion on the space portion side, and disposed on the IC tag with the wall portion interposed therebetween. It is a container with an IC tag.

The invention of claim 2 is the container with an IC tag according to claim 1, wherein the region sandwiched between the IC tag and the metal part in the wall part of the container part has a thickness of 3 mm or more and less than 50 mm. It is a container with an IC tag characterized by being.
The invention of claim 3 is the container with an IC tag according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the IC tag has a communication frequency of 800 MHz to 3 GHz. .
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the container with an IC tag according to any one of the first to third aspects, the surface portion of the metal portion facing the wall portion is the wall portion of the IC tag. It is a container with an IC tag characterized by being provided so as to be overlapped on the entire surface portion facing the.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the IC-tagged container according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the container portion is formed of paper or a synthetic resin material. It is a tagged container.
The invention of claim 6 is the container with an IC tag according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the non-metallic material forming the container part has a dielectric constant at 23 ° C. and 1 MHz, It is a container with an IC tag characterized by being 0.5 or more.
The invention of claim 7 is the container with an IC tag according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the surface of the wall portion provided with the IC tag, the surface of the IC tag, Is a container with an IC tag, characterized by being arranged on the same surface.
The invention of claim 8 is the container with an IC tag according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the surface of the wall portion provided with the metal portion, the surface of the metal portion, Is a container with an IC tag, characterized by being arranged on the same surface.

As described above, the container with an IC tag of the present invention is arranged such that the metal part overlaps the IC tag with the wall part of the container part sandwiched between them, so that the object to be stored temporarily reduces the communication capability of the IC tag. Since the influence of this factor on the communication performance of the IC tag is reduced by the metal part even if the object includes the object, the communication environment between the IC tag and the reader is stabilized regardless of the type of the object to be accommodated.
Since the container with the IC tag of the present invention can preset the characteristics of the reading device and the antenna of the IC tag in accordance with this communication environment, it reliably communicates with the IC tag regardless of the type of object to be accommodated. be able to.

  The present invention has the problem of providing a container with an IC tag that can reliably communicate with the IC tag regardless of the type of the object to be stored, and attaches the IC tag to the outer side surface of the side wall of the container. The problem was solved by placing a metal plate over the IC tag with the side wall sandwiched between the inner side surfaces of the side wall.

Hereinafter, an IC tag-equipped container 10 that is an example of an IC tag-equipped container to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a container with an IC tag according to the embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion including the IC tag of the container with the IC tag of FIG.

The container 10 with an IC tag includes a container part 20, an IC tag 30, and a metal plate 40.
The container part 20 is a box-shaped container formed of a non-metallic material, for example, a synthetic resin material such as polypropylene.
As for the electrical conductivity of this synthetic resin material, for example, the dielectric constant measured by a test method (23 ° C., 1 MHz) defined in JIS K 6911 (1995), JIS C 2151, ASTM D150, etc. is 0.5 or more. ing.

The container portion 20 includes four side wall portions 21 and a single bottom wall portion 22 each formed in a board shape whose planar shape is substantially rectangular. The container portion 20 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box shape having a space portion therein and having an open top, and the side wall portion 21 and the bottom wall portion 22 function as wall portions that separate the space portion from the outside. To do. The container part 20 accommodates the accommodation object C in a space part provided therein, and hereinafter, the space part provided in the container part 20 will be referred to as a container part.
The container part 20 is a resin molded product in which the side wall part 21 and the bottom wall part 22 are integrally formed by, for example, injection molding or the like.

The IC tag 30 is a known electronic device that performs radio communication with a communication device (not shown) called a reader / writer device using radio waves having a frequency in the UHF band. The frequency band of communication radio waves of the IC tag 30 is between 860 MHz and 960 MHz, for example.
The IC tag 30 includes an antenna and an IC chip (not shown).
The IC chip and the antenna are provided on a sheet-like base material (hereinafter referred to as a base material sheet) formed of a synthetic resin material such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), for example.
The antenna is formed on the base sheet by etching such as aluminum, and the IC chip is connected to the antenna.
The IC chip functions as, for example, an information recording medium on which information related to the object C to be stored in the container unit 20, information that can identify the individual of the container 10 with the IC tag, and the like are recorded.

  Here, in this specification, an IC tag includes an antenna and an IC chip as described above, and has a function of performing non-contact communication with a communication device via the antenna for information recorded on the IC chip. This means that the shape and name are not limited. For example, the IC tag may have a shape in which a base sheet provided with an antenna or an IC chip is accommodated in a card-type case made of synthetic resin. In addition, the names include those called IC cards, RFID tags, and the like.

The IC tag 30 is provided at a substantially central portion on the outer surface of one of the four side wall portions 21 of the container portion 20 (hereinafter referred to as a side wall portion 21a). Here, the outer surface of the side wall portion 21a means a surface portion of the surface portion of the side wall portion 21a that faces the outside of the container portion 20.
The IC tag 30 is supported by a mold for molding the container part 20 when the container part 20 is molded, and is fixed (insert molding) to the container part 20 by molding the container part 20. Yes.
One surface of the IC tag 30 is exposed on the outer surface of the side wall portion 21a. And as shown in FIG. 2, as for the side wall part 21a of the container part 20, one surface of the IC tag 30 and surfaces other than the part in which the IC tag 30 was provided are arrange | positioned on the same plane. . Thereby, the portion including the IC tag 30 on the outer side surface of the side wall portion 21a is flat.

The metal plate 40 is a metal portion that is formed of a metal material into a plate shape having a rectangular planar shape. Although the material of this metal plate 40 is not specifically limited, For example, aluminum etc. can be used.
The metal plate 40 is a side wall portion 21 a provided with the IC tag 30, and is a surface portion opposite to the surface portion provided with the IC tag 30, that is, a surface portion (inner surface) facing the accommodating portion of the container portion 20. ).
The IC tag 30 and the metal plate 40 are disposed with the side wall portion 21a interposed therebetween. And the area | region between the IC tag 30 of the side wall part 21a and the metal plate 40 has the thickness direction dimension which is 10 mm, for example.

The area of the metal plate 40 in plan view is larger than the area of the base sheet of the IC tag 30 in plan view, and is provided so as to overlap the entire IC tag 30 when the side wall portion 21a is viewed from the front. ing.
The metal plate 40 is an insert-molded insert product that is supported by a mold when the container part 20 is molded, similar to the IC tag 30, and may be fixed to the container part 20 by molding the container part 20. It has become.

  One surface of the metal plate 40 is exposed on the inner surface of the side wall portion 21a. And as shown in FIG. 2, as for the side wall part 21a of the container part 20, one surface of a metal part and surfaces other than the part in which the metal plate 40 was provided are arrange | positioned on the substantially the same plane. . Thereby, the part which is the inner surface of the side wall part 21a and contains the metal plate 40 is flat.

As described above, the IC tag-equipped container 10 includes information that allows the IC tag 30 to identify the individual of the IC tag-equipped container 10 by the reader / writer device, information on the object to be accommodated C accommodated in the container unit 20, and the like. This information is written and read.
Here, if the case where the container 10 with an IC tag does not include the metal plate 40 is considered, such a container with an IC tag reduces the communication capability of the IC tag 30 in which the object to be stored C is metal or moisture. When the factor is included, the communicable distance between the IC tag 30 and the reader / writer device may be reduced. For example, when the object C stored in the container 20 contains a relatively large amount of moisture such as fresh food, the IC tag 30 communicates with the reader / writer device using radio waves in the UHF band. For this reason, the radio wave is absorbed by the moisture, thereby reducing the communication distance.

  On the other hand, it is conceivable to prevent the communication distance from decreasing by improving the output of the reader / writer device in advance. However, the container made of synthetic resin is a general-purpose product that generally does not limit the object C to be accommodated. As described above, it is difficult to set the output of the reader / writer device in consideration of the type of the object to be accommodated.

Further, when the IC tag 30 in the UHF band is used in the vicinity of a metal material, the communication function of the IC tag 30 is deteriorated by the metal reflecting the radio wave.
And since the IC tag 30 and the metal plate 40 are arranged so that the side wall 21a is sandwiched in the container 10 with the IC tag of this embodiment, the communication function of the IC tag 30 is affected by the influence of the metal plate 40. descend.
On the other hand, by arranging the metal plate 40 between the IC tag 30 and the container unit 20, radio waves transmitted from the reader / writer device are reflected by the metal plate 40, so that the radio waves are accommodated in the container unit 20. It can be prevented from being absorbed by moisture contained in articles such as fresh food.
Thus, the container 10 with an IC tag of the present embodiment does not need to substantially consider whether or not the object to be accommodated C that is accommodated in the accommodating portion lowers the communication function of the IC tag 30. .

Since the distance between the IC tag 30 and the metal plate 40 is always constant regardless of the type and content of the object C, the metal plate 40 reduces the communication capability of the IC tag 30 as described above. However, the communication environment between the IC tag 30 and the reader / writer device is kept substantially constant.
Therefore, the output of the reader / writer device and the antenna characteristics of the IC tag 30 can be set in advance in consideration of the influence of the metal plate 40.

As described above, according to the IC tag-equipped container 10 of the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) Since the IC tag 30 and the metal plate 40 are arranged so as to overlap with the side wall 21a of the container part 20, the communication environment between the IC tag 30 and the reader / writer device is designed to be within a certain range in advance. can do. Therefore, communication with the IC tag 30 can be reliably performed regardless of the type and content of the object C to be accommodated in the accommodating portion.
(2) The IC tag 30 whose communication frequency is in the UHF band is more susceptible to moisture existing in the vicinity than the electromagnetic induction type IC tag whose communication frequency is 13.56 MHz, for example. The tagged container 10 is particularly suitable for a system that manages products and the like using such UHF band IC tags.
(3) Since the IC tag 30 and the metal plate 40 are insert-molded into the container part 20 so that the surface thereof and the surface of the container part 20 are flat, for example, the IC tag 30 and the metal plate 40 are It is possible to prevent the container object 20 from falling off due to being caught by the accommodation object C or an external object.

(Modification)
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and changes are possible, and these are also within the technical scope of the present invention.
(1) The container with an IC tag of the example has a structure in which both the IC tag and the metal plate are fixed to the container part by insert molding. However, the IC tag and the metal plate are not limited to this. I can't.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the container with an IC tag according to the embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view of a portion including the IC tag in the container portion.

In the container 110 with an IC tag shown in FIG. 3A, the metal plate 40 is insert-molded into the container part 20 as in the embodiment, whereas the IC tag 30 has a side wall after the container part 20 is molded. For example, it is affixed to the part 21a with a double-sided tape or the like. In this case, even if the IC tag 30 is damaged or the like, the replacement is easy.
In the container 210 with IC tag shown in FIG. 3B, the IC tag 30 is insert-molded into the container part 20 as in the embodiment, whereas the metal plate 40 has a side wall after the container part 20 is molded. It is affixed to the part 21a. In this case, when the object C to be accommodated in the container part 20 does not include a factor that reduces the communication capability of the IC tag 30, the metal plate 40 can be easily removed. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the communication capability of the IC tag 30 from being lowered due to the influence of the metal plate 40.
In the container 310 with an IC tag shown in FIG. 3C, both the IC tag 30 and the metal plate 40 are attached to the side wall portion 21a after the container portion 20 is molded. In this case, for example, it is suitable when the container part 20 is formed by another molding method such as blow molding and it is difficult to fix the IC tag 30 and the metal plate 40 simultaneously with the molding of the container part 20. Moreover, it is suitable also when the container part 20 is formed with materials, such as paper, and it is practically impossible to fix the IC tag 30 etc. simultaneously with the molding of the container part 20. Furthermore, the present invention can be easily applied to existing containers and boxes.

(2) The container with an IC tag of the present invention is a container in which the container part is a box in the embodiment. However, if the container part is provided with a space part that can accommodate an object to be stored therein, The shape is not limited to this, and may be, for example, cylindrical or bottle-shaped. The material of the container is not limited to a synthetic resin material as long as it is a non-metallic material, and may be, for example, paper, glass, a rubber-based material, or the like.
(3) Although the IC tag of the embodiment performs communication using radio waves in the UHF band, the IC tag is not limited to this, and may be, for example, an electromagnetic induction type, A so-called microwave having a communication frequency of 2.45 GHz may be used.

It is a perspective view which shows the container with an IC tag of an Example. It is sectional drawing of the part containing the IC tag in the container with an IC tag of FIG. It is a figure which shows the modification of a container with an IC tag, and is sectional drawing of the part containing the IC tag in a container part.

Explanation of symbols

10 Container with IC tag 20 Container part 21 Side wall part 30 IC tag 40 Metal plate C Object to be stored

Claims (8)

A container portion that is formed of a non-metallic material and includes a space portion in which an object to be stored is stored and a wall portion that separates the space portion from the outside,
An IC tag provided on the external surface of the wall;
A container with an IC tag, comprising: a metal part formed of a metal material and provided on a surface part of the wall part on the space part side, and disposed on the IC tag across the wall part. In the container with an IC tag according to claim 1,
The region between the IC tag and the metal part in the wall part of the container part has a thickness of 3 mm or more and less than 50 mm. In the container with an IC tag according to claim 1 or claim 2,
The IC tag has a communication frequency of 800 MHz or more and 3 GHz or less. In the container with an IC tag according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The container with an IC tag, wherein the surface portion of the metal portion facing the wall portion is provided so as to overlap the entire surface portion of the IC tag facing the wall portion. In the container with an IC tag according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The container part is made of paper or a synthetic resin material. In the container with an IC tag according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The container with an IC tag, wherein the non-metallic material forming the container part has a dielectric constant of 0.5 or more at 23 ° C. and 1 MHz. In the container with an IC tag according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The container with an IC tag, wherein the surface of the wall portion provided with the IC tag and the surface of the IC tag are arranged on the same plane. In the container with an IC tag according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The container with an IC tag, wherein the surface of the wall part provided with the metal part and the surface of the metal part are arranged on the same plane.

Images