JP2011097256A - Non-contact information communication apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a non-contact information communication apparatus by which various switchings of communication ranges are achievable, and which can be miniaturized. <P>SOLUTION: The apparatus includes: a first antenna unit 21 whose state in which it projects from a case and whose state in which it is stored in the case are achievable; a rod antenna unit 22 which is connected to the first antenna unit 21, and whose state in which it projects from the case and the state that it is stored in the case are achievable; a coil spring 25 which is stored in the case so as to be on the same axis as that of the first antenna unit 21; and a reflector 80 which is provided at a position being a side of the first antenna unit 21 and the coil spring 25 at the state in which the first antenna unit 21 is stored in the case. Three states, a first state in which the first antenna unit 21 and the rod antenna unit 22 project from the case, a second state in which the rod antenna unit 22 is stored in the case and the first antenna unit 21 projects from the case, and a third state in which the first antenna unit 21 is stored in the case and power is supplied to the first antenna unit 21 and the coil spring 25 are made achievable. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a non-contact information communication apparatus that performs communication with a non-contact information storage medium such as an RF tag.

  For example, an RF tag is known as a non-contact information storage medium, and various non-contact information communication apparatuses that perform communication with the non-contact information storage medium are also known.

  A non-contact information communication apparatus that communicates with an RF tag may need to communicate with an RF tag that is located at a relatively long distance, or may be in communication with an RF tag that is located at a long distance. There is a case where it is necessary to communicate only with an RF tag that is relatively close to each other without performing communication between them. In addition, as a case where it is necessary to perform communication limited to RF tags that are relatively close to each other, a plurality of RF tags to be communicated may be close in distance but may have various directions. In some cases, the direction is also organized in a certain direction.

  Therefore, it is preferable that a device that communicates with an RF tag can switch a communication distance and a communication direction according to the distance to the RF tag to be communicated and the direction in which the RF tag exists.

  Here, a wireless device that can switch the communication distance by switching the antenna between two states is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

  The wireless device of Patent Document 1 includes a first antenna unit having a loading coil and a second antenna unit connected to one end of the first antenna unit, and the second antenna unit is a housing. Can be stored. And when the 2nd antenna part is pulled out from the housing | casing, it supplies electric power to the edge part by the side of the housing | casing of a 2nd antenna part. On the other hand, when the second antenna unit is housed in the housing, the first antenna unit protrudes from the housing and is fed to the first antenna unit. For this reason, the communicable distance can be increased by pulling out the second antenna portion from the housing, while the communicable distance can be limited to a short distance by housing the second antenna portion in the housing.

Japanese Patent No. 2501413

  If the technique of patent document 1 is applied to the antenna of a non-contact information communication apparatus, it can be set as the communication distance according to the distance with RF tag used as communication object by switching the state of an antenna.

  However, the wireless device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has wide directivity (specifically, both when the second antenna unit is pulled out of the housing and when the second antenna unit is housed in the housing). The direction perpendicular to the axis is omnidirectional). For this reason, it is difficult to communicate with an RF tag only in a short distance, so even if you want to communicate with an RF tag only in a short distance, There is a problem that communication is performed with an RF tag that does not require communication existing in the direction of.

  In order to solve this problem, it is conceivable to separately provide an antenna whose directivity is limited to a short direction in a short distance. However, in this case, there is a possibility of increasing the size of the apparatus.

  The present invention has been made based on this situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide a non-contact information communication apparatus that can switch various communication ranges and can be downsized. There is.

In order to achieve the object, the invention according to claim 1 is a non-contact type information communication apparatus that performs non-contact communication with a non-contact information storage medium,
A first antenna unit that has a housing, a power feeding unit provided in the housing, a loading coil unit, and is capable of projecting from the housing and being housed in the housing; A second antenna portion connected to one end of the one antenna portion and capable of protruding from the housing and housed in the housing; and the housing so as to be on the same axis as the first antenna portion. A coil-shaped third antenna part housed in the body, and the first antenna part is provided at a position lateral to the first antenna part and the third antenna part in a state where the first antenna part is housed in the housing; A reflector that reflects radio waves,
A first state in which the first antenna unit and the second antenna unit protrude from the housing, and an end portion of the second antenna unit on the housing side is fed from the power feeding unit; and the second antenna A second state in which the first antenna unit protrudes from the housing and is fed from the power feeding unit to the first antenna unit, and the first antenna unit is housed in the housing And the second antenna unit are housed in the housing, and the power feeding unit is provided at an end of the first antenna unit on the third antenna unit side and an end of the third antenna unit on the first antenna unit side. The third state can be fed from the third state, and communication with the non-contact information storage medium is possible in each of the first state, the second state, and the third state. And

  According to the present invention, in the first state, since the first and second antenna units are monopole antennas that function as antennas, the antenna has a wide directivity and a communicable distance is increased. Further, in the second state, the first antenna portion having the loading coil portion mainly functions as a monopole normal mode helical antenna, so that the directivity around the axis is as wide as in the first state. However, the communicable distance is shortened, and the axial direction is also directional. On the other hand, in the third state, a dipole normal mode helical antenna is constituted by the first antenna part having the loading coil part and the coiled third antenna part. It has the same communicable distance as the two states. Further, in this third state, there are reflectors on the sides of the first antenna part and the third antenna part, and the first antenna part and the third antenna part are magnetically flowed by an electric mirror image reflected on the reflector. Since the source is strengthened, radiation in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction with the magnetic current source as the radiation source is enhanced. However, the radiation in the direction of the reflector is reflected to the opposite side by reflection by the reflector. As a result, in the third state, the directivity is strong in the direction perpendicular to the axes of the first and third antenna portions and in the direction opposite to the reflecting plate.

  Thus, in each of the first, second, and third states, at least one of the directivity and the communicable distance is different from the other states, so that various communication ranges can be switched and communication is performed. It is possible to switch between three states depending on the direction and distance of the non-contact information storage medium.

  Moreover, the 1st antenna part which is functioning as an antenna also in the 1st and 2nd state is utilized as an antenna in a 3rd state. Therefore, the non-contact information communication apparatus can be reduced in size as compared with the case where the antenna in the third state is configured without using the member configuring the antenna in the first state or the second state.

  The non-contact type information communication device according to claim 2 further includes a ground plate, and the power feeding unit is a conductor electrically connected to the power feeding point that is a tip of the first power feeding line and the second power feeding line. And the feed point is connected to the second antenna part in the first state, and is connected to the second antenna part in the first state. In the three state, it is connected to the first antenna part, and the conductor part is in contact with the ground plate in the first state and the second state, but is separated from the ground plate in the third state. And the second antenna is in contact with the third antenna portion, and the second feed line is connected to the third antenna portion through the conductor portion.

  According to this, the power feeding unit is configured to be movable, and power feeding is performed even in the third state by the power feeding unit used for power feeding in the first and second states. Therefore, the power feeding unit can be made smaller than the case where the power feeding unit for the third state is provided separately from the power feeding unit for the first and second states.

  The non-contact type information communication device according to claim 3 includes a coil spring disposed in the casing so as to be on the same axis as the first antenna unit and biasing the power feeding unit in a direction in contact with the ground plate. In the first state and the second state, the conductor portion of the power feeding portion is brought into contact with the ground plate by being urged by the coil spring, and in the third state, the coil spring is moved to the power feeding portion. The coil spring becomes the third antenna part by contacting with the conductor part.

  According to this, since the coil spring for bringing the power feeding part into contact with the ground plate in the first state and the second state is used as the third antenna part, the member that urges the power feeding part in the direction in which the power feeding part is brought into contact with the ground plate. Apart from that, the apparatus can be further downsized as compared with the case where the third antenna portion is provided.

  The contactless information communication device according to claim 4, wherein the power feeding unit includes the power feeding point, and the power feeding unit moves in an axial direction of the second antenna unit, so that the power feeding unit moves around the axis of the second antenna unit. A main connector portion that rotates and a spring-side connector portion that is connected to the main spring portion by an urging force of the coil spring, and the conductor portion is provided on the main connector. The first conductor portion connected to the second feeder and the second conductor portion provided on the spring-side connector and connected to one end of the coil spring. In the state, the first conductor part and the second conductor part are in a non-contact state, but as the power feeding part moves in the axial direction of the second antenna part, the axis around the second antenna part By rotating to In a state, in contact with said first conductor portion and the second conductor portion, the second feed line, characterized in that it is connected to the coil spring.

  According to this, the state where the second feeder is connected to the third antenna portion and the state where it is not connected are switched by the rotation of the main connector portion, and the main connector portion rotates along with the movement in the axial direction. That is, the state where the second feeder is connected to the third antenna unit and the state where it is not connected are performed in conjunction with the axial movement of the feeder. Therefore, the power feeding unit moves in the axial direction from the first and second states in which the second power feeding line is in contact with the ground plate via the conductor part of the power feeding unit, and the second power feeding line is the conductor part of the power feeding unit. Switching to the third state connected to the third antenna unit via the is easily and reliably performed.

1 is a diagram schematically illustrating the overall shape of an RFID reader / writer 1 according to a first embodiment. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion where an antenna 20 is accommodated in a housing 10 in a first state. It is an expanded sectional view of electric power feeding part 50 in the 1st state. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion where an antenna 20 is accommodated in a housing 10 in a second state. It is an expanded sectional view of the electric power feeding part 50 in a 2nd state. FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion where an antenna 20 is accommodated in a housing 10 in a third state. It is an expanded sectional view of electric power feeding part 50 in the 3rd state. It is a figure which shows the 1st state in 2nd Embodiment, a 2nd state, and a 3rd state. It is a figure which shows the 2nd state in 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the expanded sectional view of the electric power feeding connector 200 vicinity of FIG. It is a figure which shows the expanded sectional view of the electric power feeding connector 200 vicinity in a 3rd state.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the first embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, the non-contact information communication apparatus of the present invention is applied to an RFID reader / writer. As is well known, an RFID reader / writer performs wireless communication with an RFID tag, which is a non-contact information communication medium, so that information can be read from and written to the RFID tag without contact. It is a device to perform.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the overall shape of the RFID reader / writer 1 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the RFID reader / writer 1 of the first embodiment includes a rectangular parallelepiped housing 10. The housing 10 has a size that can be gripped by the user, and the RFID reader / writer 1 is a portable device that is carried and used by the user. The housing 10 is made of resin.

  The RFID reader / writer 1 includes an antenna 20 and a fixing ring 30. Moreover, the push screw 40 shown in FIG. 2 etc. is also provided and although not shown in figure, the several operation switch, the indicator, etc. are provided on the surface. In addition, a power supply, a control device, and the like are provided inside.

  The fixing ring 30 fixes the push screw 40 shown in FIG. The fixing ring 30 has a cylindrical shape, and is fixed to a corner of the rectangular upper plate 11 of the housing 10 by bonding or the like.

  In the state shown in FIG. 1, the antenna 20 penetrates the axial center of the fixing ring 30 and protrudes upward from the upper plate 11 of the housing 10. In this state, the first antenna portion 21 constituting the tip portion of the antenna 20 is located outside the housing 10. However, the antenna 20 is not fixed to the state shown in FIG. On the other hand, it moves further downward than the state of FIG. 1 and the lower end surface of the first antenna portion 21 substantially coincides with the upper plate 11 of the housing 10 or the first antenna portion 21 is in the housing 10. A state of being housed inside is also possible.

  Hereinafter, a state in which the antenna 20 protrudes upward is referred to as a first state, and a state in which the lower end surface of the first antenna portion 21 substantially matches the upper plate 11 of the housing 10 is referred to as a second state. The state where the first antenna portion 21 is pushed most into the housing 10 is referred to as a third state. In these first state, second state, and third state, the antenna 20 exhibits different performance. Next, the performance of the antenna 20 in the first state, the second state, and the third state will be described.

  2 and 3 show the first state, FIGS. 4 and 5 show the second state, and FIGS. 6 and 7 show the third state. 2, 4, and 6 are enlarged cross-sectional views of a portion of the housing 10 in which the antenna 20 is housed, and FIGS. 3, 5, and 7 are enlarged cross-sectional views of the power feeding unit 50 in each state.

  First, the configuration and the first state of the antenna 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. In the first embodiment, the antenna 20 includes a first antenna portion 21, a rod-shaped antenna portion 22 corresponding to the second antenna portion, and a coil spring 25 that functions as a third antenna portion.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a rod-shaped antenna unit 22 is coupled to the lower end of the first antenna unit 21. The first antenna portion 21 includes a cylindrical resin cover and a loading coil portion (not shown) covered with the resin cover. The loading coil portion is wound so as to have a sufficiently short circumference with respect to the wavelength. One end of the loading coil portion is joined to one end of the rod-shaped antenna portion 22 by soldering or the like, and the axial center of the loading coil portion and the rod-shaped antenna portion 22 are located on the same straight line.

  The rod-shaped antenna portion 22 is made of metal, and its length is such that the electrical length is λ / 2. In addition, the length of the loading coil portion described above is also such that the electrical length is λ / 4. Note that λ is a wavelength used in the RFID reader / writer 1, for example, λ = 0.12 m (2.45 GHz), λ = 22.1 m (13.56 MHz), and λ = 0.33 m (900 MHz). .

  A first stopper portion 23 is fixed to a portion of the rod-shaped antenna portion 22 in the vicinity of the first antenna portion 21, and a second stopper portion 24 is disposed at the lower end of the rod-shaped antenna portion 22 (the end opposite to the first antenna portion 21 side). Is fixed.

  In the first state shown in FIG. 2, the second stopper portion 24 is held by the power feeding connector 51. A structure for holding the second stopper portion 24 by the power supply connector 51 will be described later. The power feeding connector 51 is housed in the cylindrical housing cylinder 12. In addition to the power supply connector 51, the storage cylinder 12 also stores a coil spring 25 and a spring-side connector 52. The power supply connector 51 corresponds to a main connector portion of the claims. The power supply connector 51 and the spring-side connector 52 constitute a power supply unit 50, and power is supplied from the power supply unit 50 to the antenna 20.

  Since the housing cylinder 12 is formed integrally with the housing 10 and the housing 10 is made of resin as described above, the housing cylinder 12 is also made of resin. A disc-shaped bottom plate 60 that closes the lower opening of the housing cylinder 12 is fixed to the lower end of the housing cylinder 12. The bottom plate 60 is formed with a through hole 61 at the center that penetrates the bottom plate 60 in the thickness direction. The diameter of the through hole 61 is large enough to allow the second stopper portion 24 described above to pass through.

  The above-described fixing ring 30 is fixed to the upper end of the housing cylinder 12. The fixing ring 30 has an inner diameter that is narrower than the inner diameter of the housing cylinder 12, and a thread groove 31 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the fixing ring 30. The thread groove 31 has a shape that engages with a thread 41 formed on the push screw 40.

  Further, a metal GND plate 70 functioning as a grounding plate is provided between the upper end surface of the housing cylinder 12 and the upper plate 11 of the housing 10 along the upper plate 11. The GND plate 70 protrudes to a position facing the edge of the power supply connector 51. As the GND plate 70, a substrate for fixing electronic components in the RFID reader / writer 1 may be used, or a GND plate 70 may be provided separately from the substrate.

  The power supply connector 51 has a disk shape, and a through hole 511 that penetrates the power supply connector 51 in the thickness direction is formed at the center. The diameter of the through hole 511 is large enough to allow the second stopper portion 24 described above to pass through. In addition, two protrusions 512 protruding in the radial direction are formed on the outer peripheral side surface of the power feeding connector 51. The positions of the two protrusions 512 are positions where the two protrusions 512 are symmetric with respect to the axis of the power supply connector 51.

  Two guide grooves 13 that respectively accommodate the two protrusions 512 of the power supply connector 51 are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the housing cylinder 12, and the power supply connector 51 has a range in which the guide grooves 13 are formed. Thus, the inside of the storage cylinder 12 can be moved in the vertical direction. Further, these guide grooves 13 are formed such that their positions in the circumferential direction move from one to the other in the axial direction of the housing cylinder. Therefore, the power supply connector 51 rotates around the axis as it moves up and down in the axial direction.

  The spring-side connector 52 is also disk-shaped, and the spring-side connector 52 is also provided with a through hole 521 that penetrates the spring-side connector 52 in the thickness direction. The diameter of the through hole 521 is substantially the same as the through hole 511 of the power supply connector 51.

  One end of the coil spring 25 is in contact with the lower surface of the spring-side connector 52, the other end is in contact with the upper surface of the bottom plate 60, and the axis thereof is disposed at a position where it coincides with the rod-shaped antenna portion 22. The coil spring 25 is made of metal, and the length of the coil spring 25 is such that the electrical length is λ / 4, similar to the loading coil portion described above. The coil spring 25 is also wound so as to have a sufficiently short circumference with respect to the wavelength, as in the first antenna portion 21.

  The reflection plate 80 is a metal flat plate-like member, and is arranged so that a part thereof is in contact with the housing cylinder 12. The reason why the reflecting plate 80 is arranged at this position is to arrange the reflecting plate 80 adjacent to the coil spring 25. The distance between the portion of the coil spring 25 closest to the reflecting plate 80 and the reflecting plate 80 is, for example, 1 ˜2 mm. Further, the reflecting plate 80 is arranged so as to be parallel to the axis of the coil spring 25.

  The push screw 40 has a thread 41 as described above. A cylindrical pushing portion 42 is formed on the tip side of the screw thread 41, and a flange 43 is formed on the end of the screw thread 41 on the opposite side of the pushing portion 42. Further, an arch portion 44 is formed on the flange portion 43 on the side opposite to the screw thread 41. One end of a string 90 is tied to the arch portion 44. The other end of the string 90 is tied to the arch portion 14 fixed to the housing 10.

  Next, the configuration of the power feeding unit 50 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the feeding connector 51 is formed with a receiving hole 513 penetrating in the thickness direction in order to receive a first conductor portion 100 described below, in the vicinity of the outer peripheral edge. The spring-side connector 52 is also provided with an accommodation hole 522 that penetrates in the thickness direction in order to accommodate a second conductor 110 described later, in the vicinity of the outer periphery. However, the accommodation hole 513 formed in the power feeding connector 51 and the accommodation hole 522 formed in the spring-side connector 52 are different from each other in the circumferential direction in the first state (as shown in FIG. 3 in the first embodiment). At a position symmetrical with respect to the axis). In addition, since the conductor parts 100 and 110 accommodated in the accommodation holes 513 and 522 are plate-shaped, these accommodation holes 513 and 522 are in a shape that can easily accommodate them, for example, a rectangular shape when viewed in the axial direction. Yes.

  The power feeding connector 51 is also formed with a communication hole 514 provided in the radial direction. The communication hole 514 communicates the through hole 511 provided in the shaft portion with the accommodation hole 513 provided in the vicinity of the outer peripheral edge.

  The first conductor portion 100 has a plate shape and is in contact with the outer peripheral side surface of the receiving hole 513 of the power supply connector 51. The upper end portion 101 and the lower end portion 102 bent at a right angle are respectively connected to the power supply connector. The upper and lower surfaces of 51 are in contact. The upper end 101 is also in contact with the GND plate 70 in the first state shown in FIGS. In addition, an outer conductor 130 of a coaxial cable (second feeding line in claims) is soldered to the first conductor portion 100 in the vicinity of the opening above the accommodation hole 513.

  The second conductor portion 110 housed in the housing hole 522 of the spring-side connector 52 is also plate-shaped and is in contact with the outer peripheral side surface of the housing hole 522. The side end portions 112 are in contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the spring-side connector 52, respectively.

  Further, the conducting member 120 is also accommodated in the accommodation hole 513 of the power supply connector 51. The conducting member 120 has a shape that protrudes from the upper surface of the power supply connector 51 into a through hole 511 formed in the shaft portion through the accommodation hole 513 and the communication hole 514. One end 121 of the conducting member 120 is located on the upper surface of the power feeding connector 51, and the tip of the inner conductor 140 of the coaxial cable (the first power feeding line in the claims) is soldered. The other end is a feeding point 122, and the feeding point 122 is in contact with the locking member 150.

  The locking member 150 is made of a conductor such as metal, and is provided in a plurality (for example, two) in the through hole 511, and one of them is in contact with the feeding point 122 of the conductive member 120 described above. The locking member 150 is fixed to the power supply connector 51 by the base portion being embedded in the power supply connector 51. Moreover, the front-end | tip part is hook-shaped, and is engaging with the constriction part 241 formed in the 2nd stopper part 24 in the 1st state shown in FIG. More specifically, the constricted portion 241 is formed of an upper side surface having a smaller diameter toward the lower side and a lower side surface having a smaller diameter toward the upper side. Further, the distal end shape of the locking member 150 is a shape along the upper side surface of the constricted portion 241, and the upper side surface of the constricted portion 241 is engaged with the distal end of the locking member 150. As described above, in the first state, the distal end portion of the locking member 150 and the constricted portion 241 of the second stopper portion 24 are engaged, so that the second stopper portion 24 and the second stopper portion 24 are fixed. The position of the antenna 20 is maintained.

  Further, the second stopper portion 24 is a large diameter portion 242 having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the through hole 511 of the power supply connector 51 at a lower portion than the constricted portion 241, and is an upper portion from the constricted portion 241. However, the small diameter portion 243 is smaller than the large diameter portion 242. Further, as described above, the distal end shape of the locking member 150 is a shape along the upper side surface of the constricted portion 241. Therefore, in the first state, the second stopper portion 24 can move downward in the axial direction by applying a slightly strong force, but cannot move upward in the axial direction.

  The second stopper portion 24 is made of a conductor such as metal and is electrically connected to the rod-shaped antenna portion 22. Therefore, in the first state shown in FIG. 3, power is supplied from the inner conductor 140 of the coaxial cable to the rod-shaped antenna unit 22 and the first antenna unit 21 through the conductive member 120, the locking member 150, and the second stopper unit 24. The In the first state, the outer conductor 130 of the coaxial cable is in contact with the GND plate 70 via the first conductor portion 100.

  Therefore, in the first state, the rod-shaped antenna unit 22 having an electrical length of λ / 2 and the first antenna unit 21 having an electrical length of λ / 4 function as an antenna, and a monopole antenna having an electrical length of 3λ / 4 It becomes. In the first state, communication is performed with the RFID tag using the monopole antenna.

  Next, the second state will be described with reference to FIGS. In the second state, the antenna 20 moves downward from the first state shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 so that the rod-shaped antenna unit 22 is housed in the housing 10, and the first antenna unit 21 is connected to the power supply connector 51. It is in contact with the top surface. Further, in this second state, as shown in FIG. 4, the second stopper portion 24 penetrates the power supply connector 51 and is positioned at the lower portion of the housing cylinder 12. Instead, the first stopper portion 23 is positioned at the power supply connector 51. Is located in the through hole 511.

  FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the power supply connector 51 in the second state. As shown in FIG. 5, the first stopper portion 23 is engaged with the locking member 150 in the second state. More specifically, the first stopper portion 23 also has a constricted portion 231 composed of an upper side surface and a lower side surface similar to those of the second stopper portion 24, and is engaged with the upper side surface of the first stopper portion 23. The tip of the member 150 is engaged. As described above, in the second state, the first stopper portion 23 and the first stopper portion 23 are fixed by engaging the distal end portion of the locking member 150 and the constricted portion 231 of the first stopper portion 23. The position of the antenna 20 is maintained.

  The first stopper portion 23 is made of a conductor such as metal and is electrically connected to the loading coil portion of the first antenna portion 21. Therefore, in the second state shown in FIG. 4, power is supplied from the inner conductor 140 of the coaxial cable to the loading coil portion of the first antenna portion 21 through the conducting member 120, the locking member 150, and the first stopper portion 23. . In addition, since the rod-shaped antenna part 22 is accommodated in the housing | casing 10, the function as an antenna is suppressed. However, in order to prevent the rod-shaped antenna portion 22 from functioning completely as an antenna in the second state, the ground portion that contacts the second stopper portion 24 or the vicinity of the second stopper portion 24 of the rod-shaped antenna portion 22 in the second state. May be provided. Even in the second state, the outer conductor 130 of the coaxial cable is in contact with the GND plate 70 via the first conductor portion 100.

  With the above conductive state, in the second state, a monopole normal mode helical antenna having an electrical length of λ / 4, in which the first antenna portion 21 having the loading coil portion mainly functions, is obtained. Therefore, although the directivity around the axis is wide as in the first state, the communicable distance is shortened, and the directivity is also provided in the axial direction. In the second state, this monopole normal mode helical antenna is used to communicate with the RFID tag.

  Next, the third state will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the diameter of the first antenna portion 21 is larger than the through hole 511 of the power supply connector 51. Therefore, when the first antenna portion 21 is pushed further downward (that is, inside the housing cylinder 12) from the second state shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first antenna portion 21 is pushed, and the power supply connector 51 and the spring-side connector 52 are also Move down. Note that a push screw 40 is used to push the first antenna portion 21 into the housing cylinder 12.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the third state is a state in which the protrusion 512 of the power feeding connector 51 is moved to the lower end of the guide groove 13 using the push screw 40. In the third state, the first antenna unit 21 is also housed in the housing 10, and the first antenna unit 21 and the coil spring 25 are close to each other with the power supply connector 51 and the spring-side connector 52 interposed therebetween. . Further, as shown in the figure, the reflector 80 is sized and axially positioned so as to be lateral to the first antenna portion 21 and the coil spring 25 in the third state. Is set. Further, in this third state, the thread 41 of the push-in screw 40 and the thread groove 31 of the fixing ring 30 are screwed together, whereby the third state is maintained.

  As described above, when the power feeding connector 51 is moved up and down in the axial direction, the projection 512 is guided by the guide groove 13 accordingly, so that the power feeding connector 51 rotates around the axis. In the third state, the power supply connector 51 is rotated 180 degrees with respect to the first state and the second state. On the other hand, the spring-side connector 52 does not rotate even if it moves up and down.

  FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the power supply connector 51 in the third state. As shown in FIG. 7, in the third state, the power supply connector 51 rotates 180 degrees with respect to the first state and the second state. Accordingly, the lower end portion 102 of the first conductor portion 100 provided in the power supply connector 51 and the upper end portion 111 of the second conductor portion 110 provided in the spring side connector 52 are in contact with each other. In addition, the end portion of the coil spring 25 is soldered to the lower end portion 112 of the second conductor portion 110. Therefore, in the third state, power is supplied from the outer conductor 130 of the coaxial cable to the upper end of the coil spring 25 via the first conductor portion 100 and the second conductor portion 110.

  Also in the third state, the contact state between the feeding point 122 of the conducting member 120 and the locking member 150 is maintained. Therefore, even in the third state, power is supplied from the inner conductor 140 of the coaxial cable to the lower end portion of the loading coil portion of the first antenna portion 21 via the conductive member 120, the locking member 150, and the first stopper portion 23. Even in the third state, in order to prevent the rod-shaped antenna unit 22 from functioning completely as an antenna, the ground contacting the second stopper unit 24 or the vicinity of the second stopper unit 24 of the rod-shaped antenna unit 22 in the third state. A part may be provided.

  With the above conductive state, in the third state, the first antenna portion 21 and the coil spring 25, both of which have an electrical length of λ / 4, function as antennas to form a dipole normal mode helical antenna. Therefore, the antenna has a communicable distance in the axial direction similar to that in the second state.

  Furthermore, in the third state, the reflector 80 is present on the side of the first antenna unit 21 and the coil spring 25. Since the magnetic current source of the dipole normal mode helical antenna constituted by the first antenna portion 21 and the coil spring 25 is strengthened by the electric mirror image reflected on the reflector 80, the magnetic pole is perpendicular to the axial direction using the magnetic current source as a radiation source. In any direction is enhanced. However, the radiation in the direction of the reflecting plate is reflected to the opposite side by reflection by the reflecting plate 80. As a result, in the third state, there is a strong directivity in the direction perpendicular to the antenna axis and in the direction opposite to the reflecting plate 80. In the third state, communication is performed with the RFID tag using the dipole normal mode helical antenna.

  The directivity in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the antenna can be adjusted by the number of turns of the coil, the antenna length, the antenna width, and the distance from the reflecting plate 80. For example, if the distance from the reflecting plate 80 is increased, the directivity in this direction is weakened. Also, the radiation in this direction becomes stronger as the number of turns is reduced. And if the directivity in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the antenna is increased, the directivity in the axial direction of the antenna can be weakened. Conversely, if the directivity in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the antenna is weakened, the directivity in the axial direction of the antenna can be increased. By such adjustment, for example, the radiation intensity in the axial direction and the radiation intensity in the direction perpendicular to the axis can be made substantially equal.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment described above, in the first state, a wide directivity is provided around the axis, and the communicable distance is increased. In the second state, the directivity around the axis is wide as in the first state, but the communicable distance can be limited to a short distance. Further, in the third state, there is directivity in the axial direction and the direction perpendicular to the axis and in the direction opposite to the reflecting plate 80. Thus, in each of the first, second, and third states, at least one of the directivity and the communicable distance is different from the other states, so that various communication ranges can be switched and communication is performed. It is possible to switch between three states depending on the direction and distance of the non-contact information storage medium.

  Moreover, the 1st antenna part 21 which is functioning as an antenna also in the 1st and 2nd state is utilized as an antenna in a 3rd state. Therefore, the non-contact information communication apparatus can be reduced in size as compared with the case where the antenna in the third state is configured without using the member configuring the antenna in the first state or the second state.

  Moreover, according to 1st Embodiment, the electric power feeding part 50 is comprised so that the movement to an axial direction is possible, and electric power feeding is performed by this electric power feeding part 50 also in any state of a 1st, 2nd, 3rd state. . Therefore, the power feeding unit can be made smaller than the case where the power feeding unit for the third state is provided separately from the power feeding unit for the first and second states.

  Further, according to the first embodiment, since the coil spring 25 for bringing the power feeding portion into contact with the GND plate 70 in the first state and the second state is used as the third antenna portion, the power feeding portion 50 is connected to the GND plate 70. The apparatus can be further downsized as compared with the case where the third antenna portion is provided separately from the member that is urged in the direction of contact with the antenna.

  Further, according to the first embodiment, the state where the outer conductor 130 of the coaxial cable is connected to the coil spring 25 and the state where it is not connected are switched by the rotation of the power supply connector 51, and the power supply connector 51 is moved in the axial direction. Rotate with it. That is, the state where the outer conductor 130 of the coaxial cable is connected to the coil spring 25 and the state where it is not connected are performed in conjunction with the movement of the power supply connector 51 in the axial direction. Therefore, the power supply connector 51 moves in the axial direction from the first and second states in which the outer conductor 130 of the coaxial cable is in contact with the GND 70 via the first conductor portion 100 provided in the power supply connector 51. The switching to the third state in which the outer conductor 130 of the coaxial cable is connected to the coil spring 25 via the first conductor portion 100 of the power feeding connector 51 is easily and reliably performed.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 8A shows the first state, FIG. 8B shows the second state, and FIG. 8C shows the third state. In the following description, parts having the same configurations as those of the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals.

  In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the coil spring 25 functions only as the third antenna unit. And the 1st antenna part 21 and the rod-shaped antenna part 22 move to an up-down direction by the rack 160 and the pinion gear 162. FIG. The power feeding unit 170 is also moved up and down by the rack 180 and the pinion gear 182.

  More specifically, the rack 160 is fixed to the rod-shaped antenna unit 22, and the rack 160 and the pinion gear 162 are always meshed with each other. The pinion gear 162 can be rotated around an axis by an operation unit (not shown), and the rod-shaped antenna unit 22 and the first antenna unit 21 can be moved in the vertical direction by rotating the pinion gear 162 around the axis. .

  A rack 180 is also fixed to the power feeding unit 170, and the rack 180 and the pinion gear 182 are always meshed with each other. By operating the operation unit (not shown) and rotating the pinion gear 182 around the axis, the power feeding unit 170 can be moved in the vertical direction.

  The power feeding unit 170 is provided with a first power feeding member 190 connected to an inner conductor of a coaxial cable (not shown) and a second power feeding member 192 connected to an outer conductor of a coaxial cable (not shown). Further, a GND power feeding unit 194 protrudes from the GND plate 70. Further, a first antenna power supply unit 21a, a second antenna power supply unit 22a, and a third antenna power supply unit 25a protrude from the first antenna unit 21, the rod-shaped antenna unit 22, and the coil spring 25, respectively.

  In the first state shown in FIG. 8A, the second power feeding member 192 and the GND power feeding portion 194 are in contact with each other, and the first power feeding member 190 and the second antenna power feeding portion 22a are in contact with each other. In the second state shown in FIG. 8B, the second power supply member 192 and the GND power supply unit 194 are in contact with each other, and the first power supply member 190 and the first antenna power supply unit 21a are in contact with each other. In the third state shown in FIG. 8C, the second feeding member 192 and the third antenna feeding portion 25a are in contact, and the first feeding member 190 and the first antenna feeding portion 21a are in contact.

  As described above, in the second embodiment, the first, second, and third states are switched using the racks 160 and 180 and the pinion gears 162 and 182.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Also in the third embodiment, the coil spring 25 functions only as the third antenna unit. As shown in FIG. 9, in the third embodiment, in addition to the coil spring 25, a resin spring (hereinafter, resin spring) 202 that urges the power supply connector 200 toward the GND plate 70 is provided.

  Further, the spring side connector 204 is fixed to the lower side in the housing cylinder 12. The resin spring 202 is disposed between the spring side connector 204 and the power supply connector 200. The coil spring 25 is disposed between the spring side connector 204 and the bottom plate 60.

  FIG. 10 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view near the power supply connector 200. As shown in FIG. 10, the power supply connector 200 of the third embodiment is different from the power supply connector 51 of the first embodiment only in that it does not include the protrusions 512, and the other configuration is the same. . Since the protrusion 512 is not provided, the power supply connector 200 does not rotate around the axis even if it moves in the vertical direction. 9 and 10 show the second state. In the first state in the third embodiment, the position of the power supply connector 200 is the same as that in FIG. 10, and the second stopper portion 24 engages with the locking member 150 fixed to the power supply connector 200.

  FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the power supply connector 200 in the third state. The spring-side connector 204 has a through hole 521 and a receiving hole 522 as in the first embodiment. However, the spring side connector 204 of the third embodiment is in a state of being rotated 180 degrees around the axis with respect to that of the first embodiment.

  A part of the second conductor portion 210 is accommodated in the accommodation hole 522 of the spring-side connector 204. In the second conductor portion 110 of the first embodiment, both end portions 111 and 112 are in contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the spring-side connector 52, but in the second conductor portion 210 of the third embodiment, the upper end portion 211 is on the spring side. Projecting from the upper surface of the connector 204. This protruding length is substantially the same as the axial length of the resin spring 202 in the third state. Therefore, as shown in the figure, in the third state, the lower end portion 102 of the first conductor portion 100 and the upper end portion 211 of the second conductor portion 210 are in contact with each other.

  Further, the lower end portion 212 of the second conductor portion 210 is soldered at one end of the coil spring 25 as in the first embodiment. For this reason, in the third state, power is supplied to the coil spring 25 from the outer conductor 130 of the coaxial cable.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, The following embodiment is also contained in the technical scope of this invention, and also the summary other than the following is also included. Various modifications can be made without departing from the scope.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the rod-shaped antenna unit 22 is a single rod. However, the rod-shaped antenna unit 22 may be provided with a plurality of rods so that the entire length can be expanded and contracted.

  Further, the rod-shaped antenna portion may be configured to be extendable by being constituted by two rods. In this case, by setting the electrical length of each rod to λ / 4, the electrical length of the antenna in the first state is 3λ / 4.

1: RFID reader / writer, 10: housing, 11: upper plate, 12: receiving cylinder, 13: guide groove, 14: arch portion, 20: antenna, 21: first antenna portion, 21a: first antenna feeding portion, 22: Rod-shaped antenna part (second antenna part), 22a: Second antenna feeding part, 23: First stopper part, 24: Second stopper part, 241: Constriction part, 242: Large diameter part, 243: Small diameter part, 25: Coil spring (third antenna part), 25a: Third antenna feeding part, 30: Fixing ring, 31: Screw groove, 40: Push screw, 41: Screw thread, 42: Push part, 43: Gutter part, 44: Arch part, 50: Power feeding part, 51: Power feeding connector (main connector part), 511: Through hole, 512: Projection, 513: Housing hole, 514: Communication hole, 52: Spring side connector, 521: Through hole, 522: Housing hole, 60: Bottom plate, 61: Through hole, 70: GND plate (Ground plate) 80: reflector, 90: string, 100: first conductor portion, 101: upper end portion, 102: lower end portion, 110: second conductor portion, 111: upper end portion, 112: lower end portion 120: Conducting member 121: End portion 122: Feeding point 130: Coaxial cable outer conductor (second feeding line) 140: Coaxial cable inner conductor (first feeding line) 150: Locking member 160: rack, 162: pinion gear, 170: power feeding unit, 180: rack, 182: pinion gear, 90: first power supply member, 192: second power supply member, 194: GND power supply portion, 200: power supply connector, 202: resin spring, 204: spring side connector, 210: second conductor portion, 211: upper end portion, 212 : Lower end

Claims (4)

A non-contact type information communication device for communicating with a non-contact information storage medium,
A housing,
A power feeding unit provided in the housing;
A first antenna portion having a loading coil portion and capable of projecting from the housing and housed in the housing;
A second antenna portion connected to one end of the first antenna portion and capable of protruding from the housing and housed in the housing;
A coiled third antenna part housed in the housing so as to be on the same axis as the first antenna part;
A reflection plate provided at a position on the side of the first antenna unit and the third antenna unit in a state where the first antenna unit is housed in the housing;
A first state in which the first antenna portion and the second antenna portion protrude from the housing, and power is fed from the power feeding portion to the housing-side end of the second antenna portion;
The second antenna unit is housed in the housing, while the first antenna unit protrudes from the housing, and the second state is fed to the first antenna unit from the power feeding unit,
The first antenna part and the second antenna part are both housed in the housing, and the end of the first antenna part on the third antenna part side and the end of the third antenna part on the first antenna part side The three states of the third state fed from the power feeding unit to the part are possible,
A contactless information communication apparatus capable of communicating with the contactless information storage medium in each of the first state, the second state, and the third state. The contactless information communication apparatus according to claim 1,
A ground plate, and
The power feeding unit includes a power feeding point that is a tip of the first power feeding line and a conductor part that is electrically connected to the second power feeding line, and is configured to be movable on both axial sides of the second antenna part. Has been
The feeding point is connected to the second antenna unit in the first state, and is connected to the first antenna unit in the second state and the third state,
The conductor portion contacts the ground plate in the first state and the second state, but is separated from the ground plate and in contact with the third antenna portion in the third state. Then, the non-contact type information communication apparatus, wherein the second feeding line is connected to the third antenna part through the conductor part. In claim 2,
A coil spring disposed in the housing so as to be on the same axis as the first antenna unit, and biasing the power feeding unit in a direction in contact with the ground plate;
In the first state and the second state, the conductor portion of the power feeding portion is brought into contact with the ground plate by being biased by the coil spring.
In the third state, when the coil spring comes into contact with the conductor portion of the power feeding portion, the coil spring becomes the third antenna portion. In claim 3,
The power feeding unit is
A main connector portion that includes the feeding point and rotates around the axis of the second antenna unit as the feeding unit moves in the axial direction of the second antenna unit;
The coil spring is connected, and includes a spring-side connector portion that is in contact with the main connector portion by the biasing force of the coil spring;
The conductor portion is provided in the main connector, the first conductor portion to which the second feeder is connected, and the second conductor portion provided in the spring-side connector, to which one end of the coil spring is connected. In the first state and the second state, the first conductor part and the second conductor part are in a non-contact state, but the feeding part moves in the axial direction of the second antenna part. Accordingly, by rotating around the axis of the second antenna portion, in the third state, the first conductor portion and the second conductor portion are in contact with each other, and the second feeder is connected to the coil spring. A non-contact type information communication device.

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