JP2019036797A - Fixing jig for RF tag - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a fixing jig for an RF tag capable of receiving non-directional radio waves even when the RF tag is fixed to a metal material having a tubular shape such as a material for construction, particularly a material for scaffolding.SOLUTION: There is provided a fixing jig 300 for an RF tag for fixing the RF tag in a metal material 200 having a tubular shape. The fixing jig 300 includes a flat plate portion 320 disposed at the open end of the metal material 200 and a plate member 340 extending from the back surface of the flat plate portion 320 to the inside of the metal material 200 and supporting the RF tag 100, and includes a fixing member 360 that is provided with a conductive layer 380 communicating with the plate member 340 from the flat plate portion 320, provided on at least one of the flat plate portion 320 and the plate member 340, and can be fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the metal material 200 by coming into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the tubular shape of the metal material 200.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a fixing jig for an RF tag for fixing an RF tag in a metal material having a tube shape in order to efficiently perform usage status, history management, tracking, and the like of a metal material such as a scaffolding material. About.

  Since scaffolding materials are used repeatedly, they deteriorate over time and cause a decrease in strength. For this reason, it is important to maintain and manage scaffolding materials, and it is required to grasp and manage the period of use at the site. In addition, since the scaffolding materials are often bundled or stacked and transported and stored, it is desirable to use tags that can simultaneously read information on multiple scaffolding materials from relatively remote locations. Yes.

  For example, in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-158869), product management until products such as scaffolding materials and installation equipment manufactured at a factory are used at a construction site, and products are used at a construction site. An RFID tag, a construction site management system using the RFID tag, and a management method that can efficiently manage work management at the time of being performed and are less likely to cause management mistakes are disclosed.

  The construction site management system 40 described in Patent Document 1 is a network for long-distance communication RFID 22 of the RFID tag 10, first reading means 42, management server 46, and communication within the premises of the construction site of the communication network. A product management system 40A, which is a product management system that includes a wide-area network within a site and a product manufactured at a manufacturing factory until the product is brought into the construction site and used, a short-range communication RFID 24, a second reading unit 44, Two systems of a management server 46 and a work management system that is a work management when a product is used at a construction site, which is composed of a communication network and a building wireless network for networking communication in a construction building. It is comprised by.

  Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-44066) discloses a temporary material rental system that can perform various processes without incurring costs.

  In the temporary material rental system described in Patent Document 2, each temporary material is provided with an IC tag for identifying each temporary material. The rental system includes a management computer 12 for each function. The management computer for each function is connected to a reader 35 or the like that receives a signal specifying each temporary material from the IC tag and transmits the received signal to the management center computer 12 in the vicinity of the IC tag. The management computer for each function transmits information for specifying the IC tag read by the reader 35 and the like to the management center computer 12 together with the information for specifying itself, and the management center computer 12 receives information from the management computer for each function. Manage the rental status of temporary materials based on the information.

  Patent Document 3 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-59249) discloses that materials specified by housing design are delivered to a construction site in accordance with the requirements of the construction period, and are delivered to the construction site. It is disclosed that there is no inconsistency in various points such as product number difference, size difference, color difference, work schedule difference with designated materials, and eliminating troubles and work schedule delays in the field.

  In the housing material order delivery management method described in Patent Document 3, material information based on the order data is written to the material IC tag, and the material information is read from the material IC tag in the course of distribution to the building site or building site. And confirmation or authentication of the material is performed.

However, although various types of RF tags are disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3, an RF tag that is operated by attaching an FR tag to a metal material is not disclosed.
Patent Documents 4 and 5 below disclose radio frequency identification tags that enable communication even when mounted on metal.
Patent Document 4 (WO2007 / 000807) discloses a radio frequency identification tag that is thin and flexible, can communicate even when attached to metal, and reduces manufacturing costs.

  In the radio frequency identification tag described in Patent Document 4, the inverted F antenna (10) includes a radiating element (11), a short pin (12), a power feeding unit (13), and a ground base plate (14). It is formed flat on the surface of (30). The film (30) is, for example, an insulating film such as polyethylene terephthalate, and the radiating element (11), the short pin (12), and the power feeding unit (13) of the inverted F antenna (10) formed on the surface are electronic. It is affixed so that it may protrude from metal casings (40), such as an apparatus.

  Patent Document 5 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-85501) discloses a non-contact IC tag that can communicate with an external device (reader / writer) even when attached to a conductor such as metal.

  The non-contact IC tag described in Patent Document 5 is a non-contact IC tag that can communicate with an external device in a non-contact manner by generating a potential difference between two antennas by an electrostatic coupling method. An insulating layer 11 for preventing conduction with the conductor 40, a conductive layer 12 formed on the insulating layer 11, and an IC chip 13D are mounted, and a part is formed on the conductive layer 12, An IC chip mounting portion 13 for attaching the other part to the conductor 40 is provided, the conductive layer 12 is a first antenna, and the conductor 40 is a second antenna.

JP 2008-1558569 A JP 2005-44066 A JP 2004-59249 A WO2007 / 000807 publication JP 2003-85501 A

  However, in the radio frequency identification tag disclosed in Patent Document 4, the radiating element (11), the short pin (12), and the power feeding unit (13) of the inverted F antenna (10) protrude from the metal casing (40). Therefore, the portion protruding from the metal casing is in the way and the usage of the tag is limited.

  The non-contact IC tag disclosed in Patent Document 5 has a drawback that a communication distance is very short because a potential difference is generated between two antennas by an electrostatic coupling method.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an RF tag fixing jig capable of fixing an RF tag to a metal material having a tube shape such as a building material, particularly a scaffolding material, and receiving non-directional radio waves. It is to be.
Another object of the present invention is an RF that can simultaneously read RF tags fixed to a plurality of metal materials even when a plurality of metal materials are bundled or stacked and the RF tag is behind the metal materials. It is providing the fixing jig for RF tags for fixing a tag.

(1)
An RF tag fixing jig according to one aspect is an RF tag fixing jig for fixing an RF tag in a metal material having a tube shape, and a flat plate portion disposed at an opening end of the metal material And a plate member that extends from the back surface of the flat plate portion to the inside of the metal material and supports the RF tag, and is provided with a conductive layer that communicates from the flat plate portion to the plate member. It includes a fixing member that is provided on at least one side and can be fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the metal material by contacting the inner peripheral surface of the metal material.

In this case, the flat plate portion is disposed in the opening portion of the metal material with the fixing jig, and the RF tag is fixed to the plate member extending from the back surface of the flat plate portion to the inside of the metal material. In addition, a conductive layer that is electrically connected from the flat plate portion of the fixing jig to the plate member is provided. As a result, a capacitor is formed by sticking the RF tag on the conductive layer with an electrically insulating sticking member, and an inductance and a resonance circuit of the RF tag can be formed.
In general, when the diameter of the metal material is 16 cm or less, when the RF tag is accommodated in the metal material, there is a problem that the RF tag cannot receive the radio wave of the reading device.
However, the radio wave of the reading device can be accurately supplied to the RF tag by the conductive layer communicating from the flat plate portion to the plate member.

That is, the high-frequency current taken in from the conductive layer is supplied to one waveguide element (first waveguide element) of the RF tag installed in the closed space in the metal material, and the first waveguide element of the RF tag. And the IC chip circuit connected between the other second waveguide elements (ground elements) of the RF tag, and then emitted from the second waveguide element to the metal pipe.
Therefore, the entire metal material can operate as an antenna. In this way, radio waves from the RF tag can be sent to the reading device via the metal material, and radio waves from the reading device can be received by the RF tag via the metal material.
As a result, the RF tag can be reliably driven, and reading of the RF tag having a long communication distance can be performed.

When the fixing jig is fixed to a metal material, an air layer having a set interval is formed between the RF tag supported by the plate member and the metal material by the fixing member. This air layer functions as a dielectric layer for capacitor construction. That is, a capacitor is constituted by the RF tag, the air layer, and the metal material to form a resonance circuit. As a result, when the RF tag is driven, the metal material becomes an antenna, and transmission and reception with the reading device can be performed.
Therefore, even when metal materials such as a plurality of pipes are bundled or stacked and stored, information on the RF tag fixed inside each metal material can be reliably read.

(2)
An RF tag fixing jig according to a second aspect of the present invention is the RF tag fixing jig according to one aspect, wherein the fixing member is composed of an urging member for urging the tubular inner peripheral surface of the metal material. May be.

  In this case, since the fixing member is composed of an urging member that urges the tubular inner peripheral surface of the metal material, the fixing jig can be attached while being pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the metal material. It is possible to reliably prevent the fixing jig for the RF tag from separating.

(3)
An RF tag fixing jig according to a third aspect of the invention is an RF tag fixing jig according to one aspect or the second aspect of the invention, wherein the fixing member can be inserted into the opening of the metal material easily. May be formed.

  In this case, since the fixing member has an insertable shape that facilitates insertion, the fixing member can be easily inserted into the metal material from the opening of the metal material.

(4)
An RF tag fixing jig according to a fourth aspect of the invention is the RF tag fixing jig according to the third aspect of the invention, wherein the conductive layer is provided over the entire surface of the flat plate portion. Good.

  In this case, since the conductive layer having a large area is exposed to the outside of the metal material, it is possible to efficiently receive radio waves from the reading device.

(5)
An RF tag fixing jig according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the RF tag fixing jig according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, wherein the conductive layer is a first conductive layer, a flat plate provided on a plate member. A second conductive layer provided from the back surface to the front surface of the part may be included, and the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer may be electrically connected.

  In this case, since the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are electrically connected, the RF tag attached so as to overlap the first conductive layer can efficiently receive the radio wave of the reader. .

(6)
The RF tag fixing jig according to the sixth invention is the RF tag fixing jig according to the fifth invention, wherein the outer peripheral distance of the second conductive layer provided on the surface of the flat plate portion is the It may be designed to satisfy any one of λ / 4, λ / 2, 3λ / 4, and 5λ / 8 with respect to the wavelength λ of the radio wave having the frequency.

  In this case, the radio wave from the reading device can be reliably received by the second conductive layer. As a result, the operation of the RF tag can be ensured.

(7)
According to a fixing jig for an RF tag according to a seventh aspect, in the fixing jig for an RF tag according to the sixth aspect from one aspect, the metal material may be a building material.

  In this case, history information such as the storage status of the building material can be easily managed by fixing the fixing jig to the building material and fixing the RF tag to the plate member of the fixing jig. That is, since the reading device reads material information from an RF tag fixed to the metal material, it can manage the movement or storage of the metal material.

(8)
The RF tag fixing jig according to the eighth invention may be a scaffolding material in which the building material includes a pipe in the RF tag fixing jig according to the seventh invention.

  In this case, it is possible to easily manage history information such as the storage status of scaffolding materials such as pipes.

(9)
The RF tag fixing jig according to the ninth aspect of the invention is the RF tag fixing jig according to the sixth aspect of the invention from one aspect, wherein the metal material may be high-pressure piping.

  In this case, history information such as the storage status of the high-pressure piping can be easily managed.

It is typical sectional drawing which shows an example of the state which inserted and fixed the RF tag fixed to the fixing jig for RF tags concerning this Embodiment, and the fixing jig to a pipe. It is a typical perspective view which shows an example of the fixing tag for RF tags concerning this Embodiment, and the RF tag fixed to the fixing jig. It is typical sectional drawing which shows an example of the state which fixed the fixing jig for RF tags shown in FIG. 1, and RF tag to the pipe. It is a typical perspective view which shows an example of RF tag. It is a typical perspective view which shows an example of RF tag which shows a back surface side. It is a typical development view showing an example of an RF tag. It is a figure which shows an example of the equivalent circuit of the pipe to which the RF tag apparatus of FIG. 1 was fixed. It is explanatory drawing which shows the effect | action of the pipe to which the RF tag apparatus of FIG. 1 was fixed.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Moreover, in the case of the same code | symbol, those names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

[This embodiment]
FIG. 1 shows an RF tag fixing jig 300 for fixing the RF tag 100 according to the present embodiment inserted into the opening 210 of a pipe 200 as a metal material having a tube shape together with the RF tag 100 and fixed. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a state in which the RF tag is fixed, and FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the RF tag fixing jig 300 and the RF tag 100 attached to the fixing jig 300 according to the present embodiment. FIG.

  The fixing jig 300 for the RF tag of the present invention is fixed to the metal material 200 having a tube shape. Here, the metal material 200 is a member having conductivity, and is usually made of a metal material such as a steel material or an aluminum material.

  The use of the metal material 200 is not limited, but may be, for example, a building material, a civil engineering material, an automobile material, a plant material, or the like. Civil engineering materials and plant materials include high-pressure piping. Building materials include scaffolding materials such as pipes, clamps, and frameworks. In this embodiment, pipes (steel pipes, single-piece materials) are used as scaffolding materials. An example in which the fixing jig 300 of the present invention is attached to a pipe is also described below.

  The pipe 200 includes one having both ends opened, one having at least one end of the pipe deformed, and one having a connecting member such as a flange welded to at least one end of the pipe.

(Fixing jig 300 for RF tag)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a fixing jig 300 for an RF tag according to the present invention is fixed to a pipe 200 as a metal material.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fixing jig 300 mainly includes a flat plate portion 320 and a plate member 340. The plate member 340 is provided so as to extend into the pipe 200 from the back side (back side) of the flat plate part 320. That is, the flat plate portion 320 of the fixing jig 300 is formed along the opening 210 of the pipe 200, and the plate member 340 has a shape extending in the longitudinal direction of the pipe 200.
In the present embodiment, the flat plate portion 340 is provided with a fixing member 360.
In the present embodiment, the case where the flat plate portion 320 and the plate member 340 are integrally formed is described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be formed as separate parts and bonded.

(Plate 320)
The shape of the flat plate portion 320 in the present embodiment is mainly a disc shape. In addition, the shape of the flat plate part 320 is not limited. As shown in FIG. 2, the shape of the flat plate portion 320 may be a shape in which one end of a disc-shaped peripheral edge is notched. The shape of the flat plate part 320 can be made into a substantially disk shape so as to match the shape of the opening part 210 of the pipe 200, for example.

  The flat plate portion 320 is formed to have a size that closes the opening 210 of the pipe 200. The outer shape of the flat plate portion 320 may be the same as the inner diameter of the pipe 200, or may be larger or smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe 200.

(Plate member 340)
In the present embodiment, the plate member 340 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The width dimension of the plate member 340 is set to be substantially the same as the inner diameter of the pipe 200 or slightly smaller than the inner diameter.

(Fixing member 360)
The fixing member 360 can be provided on at least one of the flat plate portion 320 and the plate member 340. When the fixing jig 300 is inserted into the pipe 200, the fixing member 360 is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the pipe 200 by coming into contact with the tubular inner peripheral surface of the pipe 200.

In the present embodiment, a fixing member 360 is provided on the plate member 340. Note that the fixing member 360 may be fixed to both the plate member 340 and the flat plate portion 320, or may be fixed to the flat plate portion 320.
In the present embodiment, the fixing member 360 is suspended from the lower surface of the plate member 340 in a form orthogonal to the plate member 340.

Further, the fixing member 360 is formed with a C surface at the corner of the insertion side end of the fixing member 360 so that the fixing member 360 can be easily inserted into the inner surface of the pipe 200. The surface is not limited to the C surface, and may be an R surface or the like.
In the present embodiment, the fixing member 360 is orthogonal to the plate member 340 on the lower surface of the plate member 340. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the arrow F in FIG. It is only necessary to be able to generate this force.

The fixing jig 300 may be integrally formed from the plate member 340, the flat plate portion 320, and the fixing member 360, or another member may be joined to form the fixing jig 300.
When the fixing jig 300 is formed integrally, it is preferable to form the fixing jig 300 with a slightly flexible resin. In particular, the fixing member 360 is preferably formed of a resin having deformability and / or elasticity.

  A support surface 340 a for supporting the RF tag 100 is formed on one surface of the plate member 340, and a fixing member 360 is provided on the other surface of the plate member 340. Then, the RF tag 100 is supported on the support surface 340 a of the plate member 340 of the fixing jig 300.

In the present embodiment, conductive layers 380 and 382 communicating from the flat plate portion 320 of the fixing jig 300 to the plate member 340 are provided. Specifically, the first conductive layer 380 is provided on the support surface 340 a of the plate member 340 of the fixing jig 300, and the second conductive layer 382 is provided from the back surface to the surface of the flat plate portion 320.
More specifically, conductive layers 380 and 382 are continuously provided across the upper surface of the plate member 340 (the surface on the side supporting the RF tag 100), the back surface of the flat plate portion 320, the upper surface and the front surface of the flat plate portion 320. ing.

  The conductive layer 380 includes a first conductive layer 380 formed on the plate member 340, a second conductive layer 382a formed on the back surface of the flat plate portion 320, a second conductive layer 382b formed on the top surface of the flat plate portion 320, and It has the 2nd conductive layer 382c formed in the front surface of the flat plate part 320. FIG. The first conductive layer 380, the second conductive layer 380a, the second conductive layer 382b, and the second conductive layer 382c are formed in electrical communication.

Here, the second conductive layer 382 c may be provided over the entire front surface side of the flat plate portion 320, or may be provided only on a part of the front surface of the flat plate portion 320.
In this embodiment, the second conductive layer 382 c is provided over the entire front surface side of the flat plate portion 320.
By providing the conductive layer 382c over the entire surface of the flat plate portion 320, the conductive layer 382c is exposed over a wide area, so that radio waves of the reading device can be efficiently received.

  In addition, the outer peripheral distance of the second conductive layer 382c provided on the surface of the flat plate portion 320 is λ / 4, λ / 2, 3λ / 4, and 5λ / 8 with respect to the wavelength λ of the radio wave having the frequency of the RF tag. It is preferably designed to satisfy any one. In this case, radio waves from the reading device can be reliably received by the second conductive layer 382c. As a result, the operation of the RF tag can be ensured.

  The shape of the second conductive layer 382c is that the outer peripheral distance of the second conductive layer 382c is any one of λ / 4, λ / 2, 3λ / 4, and 5λ / 8 with respect to the wavelength λ of the radio wave having the frequency of the RF tag. As long as one is satisfied, various changes can be made. For example, the shape is not limited to the substantially circular shape illustrated in FIG. 2, and may be any shape such as a rectangular shape, a regular polygon, a polygon, a spiral shape, or a coil shape.

  The conductive layers 380 and 382 can be formed of a metal thin film. For example, the conductive layers 380 and 382 can be formed by attaching a metal foil such as a copper foil or an aluminum foil from the upper surface of the plate member 340 to the back surface, the upper surface, and the front surface of the flat plate portion 320. The conductive layers 380 and 382 can also be formed by printing a conductive material such as a metal paste on these members. Further, the conductive layers 380 and 382 can be formed by a known etching technique or plating.

  In this embodiment, a part of the outer peripheral edge of the flat plate portion 320 is cut out to form a flat surface 322. A second conductive layer 382b is formed on the flat surface 322. In the case where the conductive layer 380 is formed using a conductive tape, the conductive tape is attached to the plate member 340 from the flat plate portion 320 of the fixing jig 300 so as to pass over the flat surface 382. As a result, the first conductive layer 380 and the second conductive layer 382 can be formed. By forming the conductive layers 380 and 382 in such a form, the productivity of the fixing jig 300 can be increased.

The RF tag 100 can be attached to the fixing jig 300 by a known method. For example, the RF tag 100 can be bonded to the fixing jig 300 using an electrically insulating adhesive, adhesive, double-sided adhesive tape, or the like.
For example, the RF tag 100 can be attached on the plate member 340 of the fixing jig 300 (that is, on the first conductive layer 380) using an electrically insulating adhesive member. Thereby, the RF tag 100 can be supported by the plate member 340.

(RF tag 100)
Next, the configuration of the RF tag 100 supported by the fixing jig 300 will be described in detail.
As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the RF tag 100 includes an antenna 10 and an IC chip 80 that is connected to the power feeding unit 50 and operates based on radio waves transmitted from a reading device (not shown).

(Antenna 10)
The antenna 10 includes a first waveguide element 20, a second waveguide element 30, a first insulating substrate 40, a power feeding part 50, and a short-circuit part 60.

  The first insulating substrate 40 is formed in a rectangular plate shape, and has an upper surface (first main surface) and a lower surface (second main surface) opposite to the first main surface. The first insulating base material 40 is, for example, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, but is not limited thereto. For example, a disk shape may be sufficient, or what the cross section curved in circular arc shape may be sufficient. Preferably, the first insulating base material 40 has a shape corresponding to the surface shape of the fixing jig 300 at the position where the RF tag 100 is attached.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the first waveguide element 20 is provided on the upper surface of the first insulating substrate 40. As shown in FIG. 5, the second waveguide element 30 is provided on the lower surface of the first insulating substrate 40. Both the first waveguide element 20 and the second waveguide element 30 have a rectangular shape, and are formed by etching or pattern printing of a metal thin film such as aluminum.

  The first waveguide element 20 and the second waveguide element 30 have the same shape. In the present application, the “same shape” is not limited to the same in a strict sense, and a case where a slight difference occurs due to the structure of the antenna is also included in the “same shape”. For example, when an IC chip 80 to be described later is provided on the same plane as the first waveguide element 20, for example, as shown in FIG. It is necessary to provide the recess 25 in the part. In this case, the shapes of the first waveguide element 20 and the second waveguide element 30 are not strictly the same. However, since the first waveguide element 20 has the same rectangular shape as the second waveguide element 30, the first waveguide element 20 and the second waveguide element 30 are assumed to have the same shape.

The power feeding unit 50 is provided on the side surface of the first insulating base material 40, and one end thereof is electrically connected to the second waveguide element 30. The short-circuit portion 60 is provided on the side surface of the first insulating substrate 40, one end thereof is electrically connected to the first waveguide element 20, and the other end is electrically connected to the second waveguide element 30. .
As shown in FIG. 4, the power supply unit 50 and the short-circuit unit 60 are members provided in parallel on the sheet 70 so as to be spanned between the first waveguide element 20 and the second waveguide element 30. It is.

  Note that the power supply unit 50 and the short-circuit unit 60 may not be provided in parallel to each other. Further, the power feeding unit 50 and the short-circuit unit 60 may be integrally formed at the same time when the first waveguide element 20 and the second waveguide element 30 are formed. Alternatively, after the feeding unit 50 and the short-circuit unit 60 are formed separately, the respective end portions may be joined to the first waveguide element 20 and the second waveguide element 30.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, the first waveguide element 20, the second waveguide element 30, the power feeding part 50, and the short-circuit part 60 are formed on an insulating sheet 70, and The sheet is affixed to the outer surface of the first insulating substrate 40 via a sheet 70 that is bent at the side of the insulating substrate 40.
That is, as shown in FIG. 6, a flexible sheet 70 in which the first waveguide element 20, the second waveguide element 30, the power feeding unit 50, and the short-circuit unit 60 are formed on one surface is replaced with the power feeding unit 50 and the short-circuit unit. The antenna 10 can be easily manufactured by bending together at the portion 60 and affixing them to the front and back surfaces of the first insulating substrate 40.

  As a material of the sheet 70, a flexible insulating material such as PET, polyimide, polyvinyl chloride, or the like can be used. The thickness of the sheet 70 is not particularly limited, but is generally about several tens of μm. Further, the surface of each waveguide element 20, 30 may be subjected to an insulating coating treatment.

  Moreover, although the 1st waveguide element 20 and the 2nd waveguide element 30 are formed on the sheet | seat 70 (base material), it does not necessarily need to be formed on the sheet | seat 70. FIG. For example, the first waveguide element 20 and the second waveguide element 30 may be formed alone. Alternatively, the sheet 70 may be peeled off after the first waveguide element 20 and the second waveguide element 30 are formed on the sheet 70.

  The first insulating base 40, the first waveguide element 20, the second waveguide element 30, the power feeding part 50 and the short-circuit part 60 constitute a plate-like inverted F antenna. The plate-like inverted F antenna receives radio waves transmitted from a reading device (not shown). When the first waveguide element 20 absorbs radio waves, the second waveguide element 30 functions as a conductor ground plane. On the other hand, when the second waveguide element 30 absorbs radio waves, the first waveguide element 20 functions as a conductor ground plane. That is, the waveguide elements 20 and 30 can perform both functions of the waveguide element and the conductor ground plane according to the usage mode of the RF tag 100.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in the first waveguide element 20, the total length A of the peripheral sides 20a to 20f is either λ / 4, λ / 2, 3λ / 4, or 5λ / 8. Designed to be Here, λ is the wavelength of the radio wave transmitted from the reading device. The wavelength λ of the radio wave is not particularly limited as long as it is within a range that can be used as the RF tag 100. As shown in FIG. 5, the second waveguide element 30 is designed such that the total length B of the side sides 30 a to 30 d around it is substantially equal to the total A.

As described above, the first waveguide element 20 and the second waveguide element 30 have the same shape, and the total lengths A and B of the sides around each waveguide element 20 and 30 are λ / 4, It is approximately equal to one of λ / 2, 3λ / 4, and 5λ / 8. Thereby, the resonant frequency of a plate-shaped inverted F antenna can be set easily.
If the total lengths A and B of the sides around each waveguide element 20 and 30 are any of the above values, the planar shape of each waveguide element 20 and 30 is not limited to a rectangular shape. For example, the waveguide elements 20 and 30 may be formed in a square shape by cutting off the central portion.

  Further, an insulator may be used as the first insulating substrate 40. Thereby, an opening area of a certain size can be secured, and the sensitivity of the plate-like inverted F antenna can be improved. For example, a polystyrene foam can be used as the first insulating substrate 40.

  Further, the first insulating substrate 40 may be a dielectric. As the first insulating substrate 40, for example, a dielectric having a relative dielectric constant of 1 or more and 20 or less can be used. When a dielectric having a high dielectric constant (for example, ceramic) is used, the capacitance of the capacitor 93 is increased, so that the opening areas of the first waveguide element 20 and the second waveguide element 30 are reduced, and the RF tag 100 is mounted. It can be downsized. However, since the gain of the antenna 10 is reduced, the distance (communication distance) that can be communicated with the reading device is reduced. When a relatively long communication distance such as several meters or more is required, a dielectric having a low dielectric constant is used as the first insulating substrate 40. In this case, the relative dielectric constant is preferably 5 or less.

The antenna 10 having the above configuration constitutes a resonance circuit that resonates in the frequency band of the radio wave transmitted from the reader and received by the plate-like inverted F antenna. This resonance circuit is constituted by an inductor pattern L and a capacitor (first capacitor) 93 (see FIG. 7).
Here, the inductor pattern L includes the first waveguide element 20, the short-circuit portion 60, the second waveguide element 30, and the power feeding portion 50, and the capacitor 93 includes the first waveguide element 20 and the second waveguide element 30. And the first insulating substrate 40. With this resonant circuit, the plate-shaped inverted F antenna can receive the radio wave (carrier wave) transmitted from the reader with high sensitivity, so that the reading performance of the RF tag can be improved. Furthermore, the power supply voltage generated by the IC chip 80 described later can be increased.

(Antenna manufacturing method)
Next, a method for manufacturing the antenna 10 will be described.
First, as shown in FIG. 6, along the direction H orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the power feeding part 50 and the short circuit part 60, the power feeding part 50 and the short circuit part 60 are respectively connected to the first waveguide element 20 and the second waveguide element. The first waveguide element 20 and the second waveguide element 30 are opposed to each other by being bent in the vicinity of the joint portion with 30.
Next, the first waveguide element 20 is attached to the upper surface of the first insulating substrate 40 with an adhesive or the like, and the second waveguide element 30 is attached to the lower surface of the first insulating substrate 40. Thereby, the plate-shaped inverted F antenna as the antenna 10 can be manufactured.

  As described above, the antenna 10 functioning as a plate-like inverted F antenna bends the power feeding portion 50 and the short-circuit portion 60, and the first waveguide element 20 and the second conductor are formed on the front and back surfaces of the first insulating substrate 40. Each of the wave elements 30 is manufactured by being attached. Therefore, compared with the case of the conventional patch antenna which provides the coaxial line or stripline for electric power feeding, the structure of an antenna can be simplified and manufacturing cost can be held down.

(IC chip)
As shown in FIG. 4, the IC chip 80 is provided between the first waveguide element 20 and the power feeding unit 50. The IC chip 80 is disposed on the upper surface side of the first insulating base material 40 (on the same plane as the first waveguide element 20).
Note that the IC chip 80 may be disposed on the side surface of the first insulating substrate 40 as long as it is within the range of functioning as a plate-like inverted F antenna. Alternatively, an external power supply may be connected to the IC chip 80 so that the IC chip 80 operates with a voltage supplied from the external power supply.

The IC chip 80 operates based on the radio wave of the reading device received by the plate-like inverted F antenna of the antenna 10.
Specifically, the IC chip 80 first rectifies a part of the carrier wave transmitted from the reading device, and generates a power supply voltage necessary for the IC chip itself to operate. Then, the IC chip 80 operates a non-volatile memory in which the control logic circuit in the IC chip 80, unique information of the pipe 200 (metal material), and the like are stored, according to the generated power supply voltage.
The IC chip 80 operates a communication circuit for transmitting / receiving data to / from the reading device.

  Some IC chips 80 include capacitors inside, and the IC chip 80 has a stray capacitance. For this reason, it is preferable to consider the equivalent capacitance inside the IC chip 80 when setting the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit. In other words, the resonance circuit preferably has a resonance frequency set in consideration of the inductance of the inductor pattern L, the capacitance of the capacitor 93, and the equivalent capacitance inside the IC chip 80. Furthermore, the capacitance of the second capacitor is considered as will be described later.

  As described above, the RF tag 100 includes the antenna 10 and the IC chip 80. The RF tag 100 receives the radio wave (carrier wave) transmitted from the reader by the antenna 10 of the RF tag 100. Then, the identification data and the like of the pipe 200 recorded on the IC chip 80 is returned to the reading device on the reflected wave. Accordingly, the RF tag 100 can communicate with the reading device without bringing the reading device into contact with the RF tag 100.

(Fixing of the fixing jig 300 to the pipe 200)
In order to fix the fixing jig 300 having the above-described configuration to the pipe 200, a plate member 340 of the fixing jig 300 supported by the RF tag 100 (hereinafter also referred to as an RF tag device 110) is manufactured, and then Can be done as follows.

  The plate member 340 and the fixing member 360 of the RF tag device 110 are inserted (or press-fitted) into the pipe 200 from the opening 210 of the pipe 200, and the flat plate portion 320 is brought into contact with the opening end surface of the pipe 200.

  When the RF tag device 110 is inserted into the pipe 200, the fixing member 360 of the fixing jig 300 is slightly deformed, so that the RF tag device 110 can be inserted and attached to the pipe 200 relatively easily. . Further, after the RF tag device 110 is mounted in the pipe 200, the plate member 340 is moved toward the inner surface of the pipe 200 (the direction of arrow F in FIG. 1) by the restoring force of the fixing member 360. A force acts on the plate member 340. Both ends of the plate member 340 are pushed against the inner surface of the pipe 200 by the upward biasing force. As a result, the plate member 340 is fixed at a set position in the pipe 200.

  That is, when the plate member 340 and the fixing member 360 of the fixing jig 300 are inserted into the pipe 200 from the opening 210 of the pipe 200, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. The lower end portion of the member 360 is in contact with the inner surface of the pipe 200, and the back surface side of the flat plate portion 320 is in contact with the opening end of the pipe 200.

  The fixing jig 300 contacts the inner surface of the pipe 200 at at least three points, that is, both ends of the plate member 340 and the lower end of the fixing member 360. Therefore, even when the pipe 200 receives an impact from the outside, the fixing jig 300 does not move in the pipe 200, and the fixing jig 300 can be prevented from being separated from the pipe 200.

  Here, a conductive layer 380 that communicates from the flat plate portion 320 of the fixing jig 300 to the plate member 340 is provided. When the RF tag 100 is stuck on the conductive layer 380 with the electrically insulating sticking member 390, a capacitor is formed through the sticking member 390. Since the RF tag 100 and the conductive layers 380 and 382 are capacitively coupled through a dielectric made of the sticking member 390, the conductive layer 380 functions as an antenna. Therefore, the RF tag 100 can be made omnidirectional and has a long communication distance.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
The second conductive layer 382 of the fixing jig 300 receives the radio wave (carrier) transmitted from the reading device. The high-frequency current captured from the second conductive layer 382 (functioning as a radiating element) is supplied from the first waveguide element 20 of the RF tag 100 using an F-type antenna or an L-type antenna installed in a closed space in the pipe 200. (Acting as a radiating element).

  An IC chip circuit connected between the first waveguide element 20 of the RF tag 100 and the second waveguide element 30 (functioning as a ground element) of the RF tag 100 provides a second waveguide element 30 (ground). Element) to the metal pipe 200. Therefore, the entire pipe 200 becomes an antenna, and the entire pipe 200 can be operated as an antenna.

  Further, in the present embodiment, an air layer 270 is formed between the RF tag 100 fixed on the plate member 340 and the pipe 200. This air layer 270 functions as a dielectric layer for capacitor construction. Since the fixing position of the fixing jig 300 with respect to the pipe 200 is defined as described above, the interval between the air layers 270 is a desired setting interval. Therefore, the characteristics of the RF tag are stabilized.

In order to further restrict the movement of the fixing jig 300 in the pipe 200 and make the interval of the air layer 270 constant, the fixing jig 300 may be configured as follows.
Only the front end portion of the plate member 340 and / or the lower end portion of the fixing member 360 may be formed of a deformable member.
Specifically, a biasing member such as a spring or a leaf spring is provided on the fixing member 360, and the flat plate portion 320 is pressed and biased toward the inner surface of the pipe (the direction of arrow F in FIG. 1) by the biasing force of these members. You may do it.

(Equivalent circuit)
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of an equivalent circuit of the pipe 200 to which the RF tag device 110 illustrated in FIG. 1 is fixed.
As shown in FIG. 8, the equivalent circuit of the RF tag 100 includes an inductor pattern L, a capacitor 93, and an IC chip 80. The inductor pattern L, the capacitor 93, and the IC chip 80 constitute a resonance circuit that resonates in the frequency band of the radio wave transmitted from the reading device.
The resonance frequency f [Hz] of this resonance circuit is given by equation (1). The value of the resonance frequency f is set so as to be included in the frequency band of the radio wave transmitted from the reading device.

  In the formula (1), La: inductance of the inductor pattern L, Ca: capacitance of the capacitor 93, Cb: equivalent capacitance inside the IC chip 80.

Here, some IC chips 80 include a capacitor inside, and the IC chip 80 has a stray capacitance. Therefore, when setting the resonance frequency f of the resonance circuit, it is preferable to consider the equivalent capacitance Cb in the IC chip 80.
That is, the resonance circuit preferably has a resonance frequency f set in consideration of the inductance of the inductor pattern L, the capacitance of the capacitor 93, and the equivalent capacitance Cb inside the IC chip 80. As Cb, for example, a capacitance value published as one of specifications of the IC chip to be used can be used.

  As described above, by considering the equivalent capacitance Cb in the IC chip 80, the resonance frequency f of the resonance circuit can be accurately set in the frequency band of radio waves. As a result, the reading performance of the RF tag 100 can be further improved. In addition, the power supply voltage generated by the IC chip 80 can be further increased.

Further, in the pipe 200 to which the RF tag device 110 is attached, since an air layer 270 is formed between the RF tag 100 and the pipe 200, a capacitor (second capacitor) is formed by the RF tag 100, the air layer 270, and the pipe 200. ) To form a resonant circuit. As a result, the RF tag 100 can be transmitted to and received from the reading device.
The distance between the RF tag 100 and the inner surface of the pipe 200 is set according to the resonance wavelength. Therefore, the capacitance of the capacitor does not change. The capacity of the second capacitor can be greater than or equal to the equivalent capacity inside the IC chip 80.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the second capacitor 270 is connected in series with a capacitor 93 (first capacitor) composed of the first waveguide element 20, the second waveguide element 30, and the first insulating substrate 40. Yes. For this reason, the combined capacitance of the first capacitor 93 and the second capacitor 270 may change, and the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit of the RF tag 100 may change greatly.

  Specifically, when the capacity of the capacitor 270 is much smaller than the capacity of the capacitor 93, the combined capacity is greatly reduced as compared with the capacity of the capacitor 93. This means that when the RF tag 100 is arranged in the pipe 200, the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit of the RF tag 100 is greatly changed, and the reading performance of the RF tag 100 is deteriorated.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the capacitance of the capacitor 270 can be made equal to or greater than the equivalent capacitance inside the IC chip 80. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the combined capacity of the capacitor 93 and the capacitor 270 from greatly decreasing, and to suppress the performance deterioration of the RF tag 100. The capacity of the capacitor 270 is preferably set to be twice or more the equivalent capacity inside the IC chip 80.

  In order to protect the RF tag fixing jig 300 attached to the opening end of the pipe 200, a cap covering the fixing jig 300 may be attached to the end of the pipe 200. The cap can be formed of an electrically insulating member such as a synthetic resin.

  In the present invention, the RF tag device 110 corresponds to the “RF tag device”, the RF tag 100 corresponds to the “RF tag”, the IC chip 80 corresponds to the “IC chip”, and the inductor pattern L corresponds to the “inductor”. Corresponding to “pattern”, capacitor 93 corresponds to “capacitor”, antenna 10 corresponds to “antenna”, and pipe 200 corresponds to “metal material”, “building material”, “scaffolding material”, “pipe”. The conductive layer 380 corresponds to the “conductive layer”, the fixing jig 300 corresponds to the “fixing jig”, the flat plate portion 320 corresponds to the “flat plate portion”, and the plate member 340 corresponds to the “plate member”. The fixing member 360 corresponds to a “fixing member”.

  A preferred embodiment of the present invention is as described above, but the present invention is not limited thereto. It will be understood that various other embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, in this embodiment, although the effect | action and effect by the structure of this invention are described, these effect | actions and effects are examples and do not limit this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Antenna 20 1st waveguide element 30 2nd waveguide element 50 Electric power feeding part 60 Short circuit part 80 IC chip 93 Capacitor 100 RF tag 110 RF tag apparatus 200 Pipe 270 Air layer 300 Fixing jig 320 Flat plate part 340 Plate member 360 Fixing member 380 Conductive layer 382 Conductive layer 390 Adhesive member

Claims (9)

An RF tag fixing jig for fixing an RF tag in a metal material having a tube shape,
A flat plate portion disposed at an opening end of the metal material;
A plate member that extends from the back surface of the flat plate portion to the inside of the metal material and supports the RF tag,
A conductive layer communicating from the flat plate portion to the plate member is provided,
Fixing for an RF tag including a fixing member provided on at least one of the flat plate portion and the plate member and fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the metal material by contacting the inner peripheral surface of the metal material. jig.   2. The fixing jig for an RF tag according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member is an urging member that urges the tubular inner peripheral surface of the metal material.   3. The fixing jig for an RF tag according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member has an insertable shape that is easily inserted into an opening of the metal material.   4. The fixing jig for an RF tag according to claim 1, wherein the conductive layer is provided over the entire surface of the flat plate portion. 5.   The conductive layer includes a first conductive layer provided on the plate member and a second conductive layer provided from the back surface to the surface of the flat plate portion, and the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer include The fixing jig for an RF tag according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is electrically connected.   The outer peripheral distance of the second conductive layer provided on the surface of the flat plate portion is any one of λ / 4, λ / 2, 3λ / 4, and 5λ / 8 with respect to the wavelength λ of the radio wave having the frequency of the RF tag. The fixing jig for an RF tag according to claim 5, which is designed to satisfy one.   The fixing jig for an RF tag according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the metal material is a building material.   The fixing jig for an RF tag according to claim 7, wherein the building material is a scaffold material including a pipe. The fixing jig for an RF tag according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the metal material is high-pressure piping.