JP2014086033A - Rfid tag and article provided with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ID tag and an article provided with the ID tag that are capable of being easily mounted on metals.SOLUTION: An article according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a metallic base material; and an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) tag disposed on the metallic base material. The RFID tag comprises: a dielectric substrate; a thin film shaped antenna whose ends are overlapped and wound on the dielectric substrate; and an IC chip applied to the antenna. Additionally, an article according to another aspect of the present invention comprises a metallic base material and an RFID tag disposed on the metallic base material. The RFID tag comprises: a dielectric substrate; a thin film shaped antenna whose ends are overlapped and wound on the dielectric substrate; and an IC chip applied to the antenna. The IC chip is disposed between the metallic base material and the dielectric substrate.

Description

  The present invention relates to an RFID tag and an article including the RFID tag, and more specifically, is suitable for an RFID tag and an instrument or tool including the RFID tag.

  An RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) tag is a tag used for identifying a pre-labeled object by radio waves. Since an RFID tag uses radio waves for identification, information can be read and written without directly touching an object. Such RFID tags are widely used, for example, in the management of warehouse storage and display items in distribution, in the management of domestic animals in livestock, and in the management of raw materials and products, etc. It greatly contributes to the improvement.

  As a technology related to the RFID tag, for example, there are technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 below. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a technology related to an RFID tag using a radio wave in an HF (High Frequency) band in which an IC chip mounting body obtained by joining and integrating an IC chip to a metal antenna is covered with a thick ceramic exterior material. Has been. Patent Document 2 below discloses a technique related to an RFID tag in the UHF band.

Japanese Patent No. 4536552 Japanese Patent No. 4580442

  As shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2, generally, an RFID tag is equipped with an antenna for identification using radio waves. From the viewpoint of securing the insulation of the antenna, when the management object is a metal, the antenna Must be separated from the management object or the management object must be a non-metallic body, and any of the above techniques is based on the premise that the management object is placed on the non-metallic body.

  By the way, the advantage of using an RFID tag is great, and if an RFID tag that can be attached to a metal that has been considered to be difficult to apply is realized, its application will be greatly expanded. For example, in the medical field, many metal instruments such as scissors and forceps called copper accessories are used, and if the information related to purchase history and usage history can be efficiently managed, the effect is enormous. is there.

  However, since the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are based on the premise that the management object is arranged on a non-metallic body as described above, it is difficult to apply as it is, and sufficient insulation is ensured. For this purpose, the size of the RFID tag and the management target are increased, which causes inconvenience in using the metal instrument.

  Then, an object of this invention is to provide the ID tag which can be easily attached to a metal, and an article | item provided with this in view of the said subject.

  An RFID tag according to one aspect of the present invention includes a dielectric substrate, a thin film antenna whose ends are overlapped and wound on the dielectric substrate, an IC chip attached to the antenna, and a dielectric And an insulating layer disposed on the antenna on the side where the IC chip is disposed on the substrate.

  An article according to another aspect of the present invention includes a metal base material and an RFID tag disposed on the metal base material. The RFID tag is provided on the dielectric substrate and the dielectric substrate. It has a thin film antenna in which ends are wound in an overlapping manner, and an IC chip attached to the antenna.

  An article according to another aspect of the present invention includes a metal base material and an RFID tag disposed on the metal base material. The RFID tag is provided on the dielectric substrate and the dielectric substrate. It has a thin film antenna in which ends are wound in an overlapping manner, and an IC chip attached to the antenna, and the IC chip is arranged between a metal base and the dielectric substrate. .

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an ID tag that can be more highly protected from mechanical shock and electrical shock, and an article including the ID tag.

1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an outline of an article according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the outline at the time of extending the antenna which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the outline of the other example of the RFID tag which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the external appearance of the protection member of the RFID tag which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the other example of the protection member of the RFID tag which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the other example of the protection member of the RFID tag which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the RFID tag which concerns on embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the outline of the article | item concerning Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a figure which shows the outline at the time of extending the antenna which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the RFID tag which concerns on Embodiment 2, and a sensitivity. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an outline of another example of an RFID tag according to Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the RFID tag which concerns on embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms, and is not limited to the exemplary description of the embodiments shown below.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of an article (hereinafter simply referred to as “the article”) 1 provided with an RFID tag 2 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the article 1 includes a metal base 11 and an RFID tag 2 disposed on the metal base 11, and the RFID tag 2 includes a dielectric substrate 21 and a dielectric. A thin film antenna 22 wound on the substrate 21 so that the ends overlap each other, an IC chip 23 attached to the antenna, and an insulating layer disposed between the antenna 22 and the metal base 11 24.

  In the present embodiment, the RFID tag 2 is provided with a protective member 25 that covers the dielectric substrate 21, the antenna 22, and the IC chip 23 to protect them from external impacts.

  The article 1 according to the present embodiment is an article to be managed and has at least a part of the metal base material 11 and is not limited as long as it can be a management target. For example, in the medical field, metal tools such as scissors and forceps called copper accessories are suitable, and in the field of work, tools such as nippers, wrenches, spanners, pliers, and hammers are suitable.

  In the present embodiment, the RFID tag 2 is a tag that is attached to the metal base 11 and identifies an article by radio waves. As described above, the dielectric substrate 21 and end portions on the dielectric substrate 21 are provided. A thin film antenna 22 that is wound in an overlapping manner, an IC chip 23 attached to the antenna 22, and a protective member 25 that covers the antenna 22, the derivative substrate 21, and the IC chip 23 are provided.

  In this embodiment, the dielectric substrate 21 contributes to improving the sensitivity of the antenna 22 while stably arranging members such as the antenna 22 and the IC chip 23. The dielectric substrate 21 is mounted on the metal base 11 of the article, and the shape can be selected as appropriate so that it can be mounted on the metal base 11. It is preferable that it is a polygon such as a quadrilateral having a thickness that allows the ends to overlap each other by winding the antenna 22 around it. The material of the dielectric substrate 21 can be selected as appropriate and is not particularly limited. Examples thereof include metal, ceramic, glass, plastic, and silicone on which an insulating film is formed. The dielectric substrate is preferably a plastic that is lightweight, easy to process, and strong against mechanical shock, such as ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. In the case of silicone, the coefficient of thermal expansion is suppressed, and the sterilization temperature is higher than 130 ° C. There is an advantage that the possibility of deformation can be reduced.

  In this embodiment, the antenna 22 can transmit and receive radio waves to and from an external reader / writer, and is configured to have a conductive metal. In the present embodiment, the configuration of the antenna 22 is not limited. However, it is preferable that the thin band-shaped insulating film 221 and the thin metal film pattern 222 are formed on the insulating film 221. Thereby, the antenna 22 can be bent stably.

  In addition, as described above, the antenna 22 in the present embodiment is wound around the dielectric substrate 21, and the ends of the antenna 22, more specifically, the ends of the metal film pattern 222 overlap each other. They are together. The overlapped (overlapping) portion is disposed on the surface of the pair of surfaces of the dielectric substrate 21 facing the metal base 11. Here, although the end portions of the metal film pattern 222 overlap each other, they are not directly connected by the insulating film 221. However, since an insulator is disposed between them, it functions as a capacitor, and at the operating frequency, it is possible to secure a sufficient capacity that can be regarded as being short-circuited. The capacitance can be adjusted as appropriate at the operating frequency and is not limited. However, for example, if the operating frequency is in the vicinity of 950 MHz, the capacitance is preferably in the range of 0.05 pF to 0.2 pF. FIG. 2 shows an image diagram in a state where the antenna 22 according to the present embodiment is expanded. In this antenna 22, the pattern of the metal film has a shape in which a pair of substantially parallel wires are connected at both ends. If the operating frequency is about 950 MHz, the length in the stretching direction is preferably about 2 to 3 cm (width is about 1 cm when wound), and the width is preferably about 1 to 2 mm. However, the pattern of the metal film of the antenna 22 of this figure is an example, and is not limited as long as it can be formed on the insulating film 221 and can function as an antenna.

  In the present embodiment, the material of the insulating film 221 constituting the antenna 22 is not limited as long as it has sufficient insulating performance and can be bent as described above. For example, polyimide, polypropylene, polyester, polyethylene Examples thereof include polymers such as perfluoropolyether, glass, paper, and the like. A polymer film is preferable from the viewpoint of easy formation of a metal film pattern. Moreover, in this embodiment, it does not limit as long as it has electroconductivity as a metal which forms the pattern of a metal film, For example, gold | metal | money, silver, copper, chromium etc. can be illustrated.

  In the present embodiment, the IC chip 23 is a package of a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC), and can perform various processes such as data writing and reading based on an input signal. The IC chip 23 according to the present embodiment is electrically connected and fixed to the antenna 22, more specifically to the metal film pattern of the antenna 22. In other words, the IC chip 23 is connected to the antenna 22 and performs processing such as data writing and reading based on the radio wave from the reader / writer when the antenna 22 receives the signal, while the radio wave is transmitted to the reader / writer side via the antenna 22. The data can be output via

  In the present embodiment, the IC chip 23 is disposed on the side of the pair of surfaces of the dielectric substrate 21 that does not face the metal substrate 11. By doing so, the antenna 22 and the metal substrate 11 can be brought close to each other to improve sensitivity. As long as this is the case, the arrangement relationship between the IC chip 23 and the antenna 22 may be such that the IC chip is disposed between the antenna 22 and the dielectric substrate 21, and the IC chip is disposed outside the antenna 22. You may make it.

  In the present embodiment, the insulating layer 24 has a function of insulating the metal film pattern 222 of the antenna 22 from the metal substrate 21. In the present embodiment, the thickness of the insulating layer 24 is sufficient to ensure the insulation between the metal base 11 and the metal film pattern 222 of the antenna 22 while forming a loop current in the metal base 11 described later. It is not limited as long as it can be close to the antenna 22 and can be appropriately adjusted depending on the material of the insulating layer 24, but is preferably set to 20 μm or more and 300 μm or less, more preferably 50 μm or more and 200 μm or less. The sensitivity can be maximized in the vicinity of 100 μm. In this case, when the insulating film 221 of the antenna 22 is between the metal film pattern 222 of the antenna 22 and the metal base material 11, it is preferable to consider this thickness. Since the insulating layer 24 is preferably a thin film as described above, it is preferably in the form of a tape. Furthermore, if the insulating tape (adhesive tape) is coated with an adhesive, the RFID tag can be more stably metalized. It can be fixed to the substrate 11 and is preferable. The material of the insulating layer 24 is not limited as long as it has the above function, and examples thereof include polymers such as polyimide, polypropylene, polyester, polyethylene, perfluoropolyether, glass, paper, and the like. .

  In this embodiment, the insulating layer 24 is provided separately from the insulating film 221 of the antenna 22, but the metal film pattern 222 of the antenna 22 and the metal base material 11 are formed only by the insulating film 221 of the antenna 22. The insulating layer 24 can be omitted as long as sufficient insulation can be secured. In this case, it is preferable that the thickness of the insulating film 221 of the antenna 22 is a desirable thickness of the insulating layer 24. An example of this is shown in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, the protection member 25 accommodates at least the dielectric substrate 21, the antenna 22, the IC chip 23, preferably the insulating layer 24, and is used to protect them from external impacts and the like. The protective member 25 is preferably provided from the viewpoint of protecting the ID tag, but can be omitted. The material constituting the protective member 25 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include metals, ceramics, and polymers.

  In the present embodiment, the shape of the protective member 25 is not limited. However, considering the viewpoint of protecting the impact from the outside, the dielectric substrate 21, the antenna 22, the IC chip 23, and the insulating layer 24 as a whole are taken into consideration. A box shape having a bottom portion 251 to be stored and a side wall portion 252 covering the periphery of the bottom portion 251 is preferable. FIG. 4 shows an example when the box-shaped protection member 25 is attached to a metal base material.

  Further, in the present embodiment, considering the viewpoint of securing a stronger connection to the RFID tag article, for example, a box-shaped protection member 25, more specifically, a protrusion 2511 is provided on the side wall 251 of the protection member 25, It is good also as a structure arrange | positioned so that it may be hooked on the metal base material of articles | goods. By doing in this way, it can fix to the metal base material 11 more firmly. A diagram in this case is shown in FIG. 5, for example. Furthermore, when the metal base is a thin rod or column, it is possible to provide a cover member 253 for covering the periphery of the metal base and a hole through which the metal base passes. It is. An example of this case is shown in FIG.

  Here, the operation in a state where the RFID tag 2 according to the present embodiment is provided in the article 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

  When a current flows from the IC chip 23 to the antenna 22, this current becomes a loop current I. Since the metallic substrate 11 is present in the vicinity of the loop current I, the loop current I 'flows in the same direction as the loop current I in the metallic substrate 11 due to the principle of mirror image. The electromagnetic field generated by the loop current I and the loop current I 'in the metal can be regarded as an electromagnetic field that reinforces each other at a slightly separated location. That is, when a metal is brought close to the vicinity of the loop current I, the generated electromagnetic field becomes stronger than when there is no metal.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide an ID tag that can be more highly protected from mechanical shock and electrical shock and an article including the ID tag.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an article 1 including the RFID tag 2 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the article 1 includes a metal base 11 and an RFID tag 2 disposed on the metal base 11, and the RFID tag 2 includes a dielectric substrate 21 and a dielectric. Arranged on the antenna 22 on the side where the thin film antenna 22 wound so that the ends overlap on the substrate 21, the IC chip 23 attached to the antenna, and the IC chip 23 of the dielectric substrate 21 are disposed. The IC chip 23 is disposed between the metal base 11 and the dielectric substrate 21, and the insulating layer 24 is disposed between the antenna 22 and the metal base 11. . In the present embodiment, the RFID tag 2 is provided with a protective member 25 that covers the dielectric substrate 21, the antenna 22, and the IC chip 23 to protect them from external impacts. That is, this embodiment is almost the same as the first embodiment except for the arrangement of the IC chip 23 from the first embodiment. Therefore, hereinafter, the description of the same configuration as that of the first embodiment may be omitted.

  In the present embodiment, the RFID tag 2 is a tag that is attached to the metal base 11 and identifies an article by radio waves. As described above, the dielectric substrate 21 and end portions on the dielectric substrate 21 are provided. A thin film antenna 22 that is wound in an overlapping manner, an IC chip 23 attached to the antenna 22, and an insulating layer 24 disposed on the antenna 22 on the side of the dielectric substrate 21 where the IC chip 23 is disposed. And a protective member 25 that covers the antenna 22, the derivative substrate 21, and the IC chip 23.

  In addition, as described above, the antenna 22 in the present embodiment is wound around the dielectric substrate 21, and the ends of the antenna 22, more specifically, the ends of the metal film pattern 222 overlap each other. They are together. The overlapped (overlapping) portion is disposed on the surface side of the pair of surfaces of the dielectric substrate 21 that does not face the metal base material 11. Here, although the end portions of the metal film pattern 222 overlap each other, they are not directly connected by the insulating film 221. However, since an insulator is disposed between them, it functions as a capacitor, and at the operating frequency, it is possible to secure a sufficient capacity that can be regarded as being short-circuited. The capacitance can be adjusted as appropriate at the operating frequency and is not limited. However, for example, if the operating frequency is in the vicinity of 950 MHz, the capacitance is preferably in the range of 0.05 pF to 0.2 pF. FIG. 9 shows an image diagram in a state where the antenna 22 according to this embodiment is expanded. In this antenna 22, the pattern of the metal film has a shape in which a pair of substantially parallel wires are connected at both ends. If the operating frequency is about 950 MHz, the length in the stretching direction is preferably about 2 to 3 cm (width is about 1 cm when wound), and the width is preferably about 1 to 2 mm. However, the pattern of the metal film of the antenna 22 of this figure is an example, and is not limited as long as it can be formed on the insulating film 221 and can function as an antenna.

  In the present embodiment, the IC chip 23 is disposed on the surface of the pair of surfaces of the dielectric substrate 21 that faces the metal substrate 11. In other words, the IC chip 23 is disposed between the dielectric substrate 21 and the metal base 11 and is strongly protected against external mechanical and electrical shocks. As long as this is the case, the arrangement relationship between the IC chip 23 and the antenna 22 may be arranged between the antenna 22 and the dielectric substrate 21, or between the antenna 22 and the metal base 11. However, from the viewpoint of protecting the IC chip 23, the former is more preferable.

  In the present embodiment, the insulating layer 24 has a function of insulating the metal film pattern 222 of the antenna 22 from the metal substrate 21. In the present embodiment, the thickness of the insulating layer 24 is sufficient to ensure the insulation between the metal base 11 and the metal film pattern 222 of the antenna 22 while forming a loop current in the metal base 11 described later. It is not limited as long as it can be close to the antenna 22 and can be appropriately adjusted depending on the material of the insulating layer 24, but is preferably set to 20 μm or more and 300 μm or less, more preferably 50 μm or more and 200 μm or less. The sensitivity can be maximized in the vicinity of 100 μm. In this case, when the insulating film 221 of the antenna 22 is between the metal film pattern 222 of the antenna 22 and the metal base material 11, it is preferable to consider this thickness. FIG. 10 shows the relationship between the sensitivity of the RFID tag and the thickness of the insulating layer. Since the insulating layer 24 is preferably a thin film as described above, the insulating layer 24 is preferably in the form of a tape. Further, if the insulating tape (adhesive tape) is coated with an adhesive, the RFID tag can be more stably metalized. It can be fixed to the substrate 11 and is preferable. The material of the insulating layer 24 is not limited as long as it has the above function, and examples thereof include polymers such as polyimide, polypropylene, polyester, polyethylene, perfluoropolyether, glass, paper, and the like. However, in the case of a polymer, there is also an advantage that due to its flexibility, the unevenness caused by the IC chip 23 can be relaxed and the adhesion can be improved more easily.

  In this embodiment, the insulating layer 24 is provided separately from the insulating film 221 of the antenna 22, but the metal film pattern 222 of the antenna 22 and the metal base material 11 are formed only by the insulating film 221 of the antenna 22. The insulating layer 24 can be omitted as long as sufficient insulation can be secured. In this case, it is preferable that the thickness of the insulating film 221 of the antenna 22 is a desirable thickness of the insulating layer 24. An example of this is shown in FIG.

  The protective member of the RFID tag 2 according to the present embodiment can adopt the same shape as that of the first embodiment.

  Here, an operation in a state where the RFID tag 2 according to the present embodiment is provided in the article 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

  When a current flows from the IC chip 23 to the antenna 22, this current becomes a loop current I. Since the metallic substrate 11 is present in the vicinity of the loop current I, the loop current I 'flows in the same direction as the loop current I in the metallic substrate 11 due to the principle of mirror image. The electromagnetic field generated by the loop current I and the loop current I 'in the metal can be regarded as an electromagnetic field that reinforces each other at a slightly separated location. That is, when a metal is brought close to the vicinity of the loop current I, the generated electromagnetic field becomes stronger than when there is no metal. On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the IC chip 23 is disposed closer to the metal base 11 than the dielectric substrate 21, it is possible to receive a mechanical impact from the outside, and there is a risk that the IC chip 23 is directly impacted. Is extremely low. Further, the electrical impact from the outside also functions as an electrostatic shield plate because the overlapping portion of the end portions of the antenna 22 is disposed on the side of the dielectric substrate 21 not facing the metallic substrate 11. Therefore, large electrolysis can be prevented from being directly applied to the IC chip 23.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide an ID tag that can be more highly protected from mechanical shock and electrical shock and an article including the ID tag.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be produced as a product as an RFID tag and an article including the RFID tag, and has industrial applicability.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Article 11 ... Metal base material 2 ... RFID tag 21 ... Dielectric substrate 22 ... Antenna 23 ... IC chip 24 ... Insulating layer 25 ... Protection member

Claims (15)

A metal base material, and an RFID tag disposed on the metal base material,
The RFID tag is an article having a dielectric substrate, a thin-film antenna whose ends are wound on the dielectric substrate, and an IC chip attached to the antenna.   2. The article according to claim 1, wherein ends of the antenna overlap each other on a surface opposite to a surface of the dielectric substrate on which the IC chip is disposed.   The article according to claim 1, wherein the RFID tag includes a protective member that houses and protects the dielectric substrate, the antenna, and the IC chip.   The article according to claim 1, wherein the RFID tag includes an insulating layer disposed between the antenna and the metal substrate.   The article according to claim 4, wherein the insulating layer has a thickness of 20 μm to 300 μm. A metal base material, and an RFID tag disposed on the metal base material,
The RFID tag includes a dielectric substrate, a thin-film antenna that is wound on the dielectric substrate with overlapping ends, and an IC chip attached to the antenna,
The IC chip is an article disposed between the metal base and the dielectric substrate.   The article according to claim 6, wherein ends of the antenna overlap each other on a surface opposite to a surface of the dielectric substrate on which the IC chip is disposed.   The article according to claim 6, wherein the RFID tag includes a protective member that houses and protects the dielectric substrate, the antenna, and the IC chip.   The article according to claim 6, wherein the RFID tag has an insulating layer disposed between the antenna and the metal substrate.   The article according to claim 9, wherein the insulating layer has a thickness of 20 μm to 300 μm.   A dielectric substrate, a thin film antenna whose ends are wound on the dielectric substrate, an IC chip attached to the antenna, and a side where the IC chip of the dielectric substrate is disposed And an insulating layer disposed on the antenna.   12. The RFID tag according to claim 11, wherein ends of the antenna overlap each other on a surface opposite to a surface of the dielectric substrate on which the IC chip is disposed.   The RFID tag according to claim 11, further comprising a protective member that accommodates and protects the derivative substrate, the antenna, the IC chip, and the insulating layer.   The RFID tag according to claim 11, wherein the insulating layer has a thickness of 20 μm to 300 μm.   The RFID tag according to claim 14, wherein the insulating layer is an adhesive tape having an insulating property.