JP2022080134A - Package with RF tag - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a package with an RF tag in which communication performance of an RF tag label attached to a package comprising a metal material is not deteriorated even if an opening hole for attaching the tag label is not formed.SOLUTION: A package 1 with an RF tag includes: a package body 10 provided with a notch 12 formed in a margin section; and the RF tag label 2 attached to the package body 10. The RF tag label 2 includes a glue killing layer 25 laminated on a back face of a second adhesive layer 24 while matching an arrangement position of a matching circuit 220. The glue killing layer 25 has a shape formed by expanding edges of the notch 12. The RF tag label 2 is attached in a condition that the whole of the notch 12 is sealed by the glue killing layer 25, and a part of an antenna element 221 overlaps a metal material 100c of the package body 10 via at least the second adhesive layer 24.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an RF tag (RF: Radio Frequency), which is a medium used for individual identification by radio.

Retailers such as convenience stores and supermarkets are considering the introduction of an automatic checkout system using RF tags for the purpose of solving serious labor shortages in rural areas and improving the efficiency of checkout operations. The RF tag means an information medium attached to an article or a person in an automatic recognition technique using wireless communication. The RF tag may also be referred to as a wireless tag, an IC tag, an RFID tag, or the like.

In the automatic payment system using RF tags, RF tags are attached to each product sold at retail stores. Then, when the price of the product purchased by the customer (for example, the product in the shopping cart) is settled, the reader / writer corresponding to the RF tag uses the product from each of the RF tags attached to the product purchased by the customer. The product identification data that identifies the product is read in a batch.

Many of the products sold at retail stores contain the contents in a package made of a metal material that interferes with wireless communication. If no measures are taken, the communication performance of the RF tag attached to the product will deteriorate due to the influence of the metal material used for the package. Therefore, in order to introduce an automatic payment system, it is necessary to devise a method that does not deteriorate the communication performance of the RF tag even for the product.

As an invention relating to this device, the applicant in Patent Document 1 molded an RF tag label on which an antenna having a matching circuit, a linear element, and an antenna element joined to an IC chip is mounted, using a metal material. Disclosed is an RF-tagged package in which an opening hole processed in the package is overlapped with a linear element and a matching circuit, and the antenna element is attached so as to overlap with the metal material of the package.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2020-21389

As described above, in the package disclosed in Patent Document 1, an opening hole for attaching an RF tag label is processed in the package.

The present invention provides a package with an RF tag that does not deteriorate the communication performance of the RF tag label attached to the package using a metal material without processing an opening for attaching the RF tag label.

The present invention that solves the above-mentioned problems is an RF-tagged package in which an RF tag label is attached to a package that is molded using at least a metal material and has a notch in a margin portion of the package that does not contain the contents. The body.
The RF tag label according to the present invention has an antenna base material which is connected to an IC chip and has an antenna having a matching circuit and an antenna element having a size that fits in the notch, and an adhesive layer for being attached to the package. , The adhesive layer is laminated on the back surface of the adhesive layer according to the arrangement position of the matching circuit, and has a glue-killing layer having a shape in which the edge of the notch is widened.
In the RF tag label according to the present invention, the RF is such that all of the notches are closed by the glue-killing layer, and a part of the antenna element overlaps with the metal material of the package through at least the adhesive layer. A tag label is attached to the package.

In the package with RF tag according to the present invention, the antenna element of the antenna and the metal material of the package are static so that the communication performance required for the automatic settlement system can be obtained even in various packages using metal materials. It is configured so that it can be electrically coupled and the metal material of the package can be used as a radiation plate for the antenna. Further, in the package with an RF tag according to the present invention, a glue-killing layer is laminated on the back surface of the adhesive layer so that the adhesive layer of the RF tag label is not exposed to the notch on the opposite surface to which the RF tag label is attached.

The figure explaining the package with RF tag which concerns on this embodiment. The figure explaining the package body which concerns on this embodiment. The figure explaining the layer structure of the laminated film used for molding a package. The figure explaining the internal structure of the package with RF tag. The figure explaining the RF tag label attached to the package body. The figure explaining the part where the RF tag label was attached in detail. The figure explaining the manufacturing apparatus which manufactures the package with RF tag. The figure explaining the manufacturing method of the package with RF tag. The figure explaining the RF tag label which concerns on the modification. The figure explaining the package with RF tag which concerns on modification 1. FIG. The figure explaining the package with RF tag which concerns on modification 2.

From here, suitable embodiments of the present invention will be described. The following description does not constrain the technical scope of the present invention, but is intended to aid understanding. Unless otherwise specified, the drawings are schematic drawings drawn to facilitate understanding of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a package 1 with an RF tag according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the package 10 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a layer structure of a base material 100 used for molding the package 10. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of the RF-tagged package 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an RF tag label 2 to be attached to the package 10. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining in detail the portion to which the RF tag label 2 is attached.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the RF-tagged package 1 according to the present embodiment is composed of at least a package 10 formed by using a metal material 100c and an RF tag label 2 attached to the package 10. .. The form of the package 10 constituting the RF-tagged package 1 may be arbitrary as long as the present invention can be carried out, but in the present embodiment, the package 10 is a spout bag with a cap, which is one of the laminated bags.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the package 10 in the form of a spout bag with a cap has a top seal portion 11a to which a cap 13 is attached as a seal portion 11 which is a margin portion that does not accommodate the contents. It has both side seal portions 11b. As shown in FIG. 2, in the package 10 of the present embodiment, the top seal portion 11a is provided with a rectangular notch 12. In the package 10 of the present embodiment, the RF tag label 2 is attached so as to close the notch 12 provided in the top seal portion 11a.

The package 10 according to the present embodiment is molded using a laminated film on which a metal material 100c (here, aluminum foil) is laminated as a base material 100. As shown in FIG. 3, the layer structure of the base material 100 consists of five layers: PET100a (polyethylene terephthalate) / SPE100b (laminated with polyethylene) / metal material 100c (aluminum foil) / SPE100d / LLDPE100e (low density polyethylene). It has become.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA'in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the package 10 according to the present embodiment is formed by bending the base material 100 having a five-layer structure in two and sealing the three sides. In the package 10 according to the present embodiment, the inside of the portion not sealed is a space for accommodating the contents 101.

As described above, in the package 10 according to the present embodiment, the notch 12 is provided in the top seal portion 11a, but the location of the package 10 provided by the notch 12 is not limited to the top seal portion 11a. In the case of the package 10 having the specification of providing the notch 12, the notch 12 existing as the specification of the package 10 can be used. Further, in the case of the package 10 which is not specified to provide the notch 12, the notch 12 can be provided in the package 10 in order to carry out the present invention.

The RF tag label 2 to be attached to the package 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The frequency band used by the RF tag label 2 in wireless communication is the UHF band (for example, 860 MHz to 960 MHz).

FIG. 5A illustrates the layer structure of the RF tag label 2. As illustrated in FIG. 5A, the RF tag label 2 according to the present embodiment includes an antenna base material 23 on which at least an antenna 22 connected to a surface sheet 20, a first adhesive layer 21, and an IC chip 222 is mounted. A second adhesive layer 24 and a glue-killing layer 25 used for adhesion to the package 10 are provided.

The surface sheet 20 is a sheet that becomes the surface of the RF tag label 2. In addition to synthetic resin films such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polypropylene (PP), art paper and the like can be used for the surface sheet 20, and various information such as product names and usage can be printed on the surface of the surface sheet 20. Can be printed.

The first adhesive layer 21 is a layer for adhering the surface of the antenna base material 23 on which the antenna 22 and the like are mounted to the surface sheet 20. An acrylic or rubber-based adhesive or a pressure-sensitive adhesive can be used for the first adhesive layer 21.

An antenna 22 and an IC chip 222 connected to the antenna 22 are mounted on the antenna base material 23. As the antenna base material 23, a synthetic resin film such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polypropylene (PP) can be used.

The second adhesive layer 24 is a layer that adheres the surface of the antenna base material 23 on which the antenna 22 or the like is not mounted to the package 10. An acrylic or rubber adhesive can be used for the second adhesive layer 24.

The glue-killing layer 25 laminated on the back surface of the second adhesive layer 24 has an adhesive force of a portion of the second adhesive layer 24 that overlaps with the notch 12 provided in the package 10 when the RF tag label 2 is attached to the package 10. It is a layer for erasing. The glue killing layer 25 is formed by a special process of eliminating the adhesive force of the second adhesive layer 24. As a method of gluing, a method of applying an ink that erases the adhesive force such as varnish, a method of adhering a kill film for erasing the adhesive force, and a method of not applying an adhesive to the part to be glued are known. However, in the present invention, the glue killing method may be arbitrary.

FIG. 5B illustrates the antenna 22 mounted on the antenna base material 23. As shown in FIG. 5B, the antenna 22 mounted on the antenna base material 23 is a half-wavelength dipole antenna. Specifically, the antenna 22 has a configuration in which two strip-shaped antenna elements 221 are connected to both sides of the matching circuit 220 to which the IC chip 222 is connected. The matching circuit 220 has a loop shape and has an inductance that cancels the capacitance existing between the input terminals of the IC chip 222.

FIG. 5C illustrates the relative relationship between the notch 12 and the glue-killing layer 25. In FIG. 5 (c), the glue killing layer 25 is shown by a broken line, and the notch 12 is shown by a dotted line. As shown in FIG. 5C and the like, the matching circuit 220 of the antenna 22 is sized to fit entirely in the notch 12 provided in the package 10. The glue killing layer 25 is laminated on the back surface of the second adhesive layer 24 in accordance with the arrangement position of the matching circuit 220. The size is such that the notch 12 fits at least in order to eliminate the adhesive force of the portion of the second adhesive layer 24 that overlaps with the notch 12 processed in the package 10. Specifically, the shape of the glue-killing layer 25 is such that the edge of the glue-killing layer 25 is widened.

The portion to which the RF tag label 2 is attached will be described in detail with reference to FIG. At the notch 12 provided in the top seal portion 11a of the package 10 to which the RF tag label 2 is attached, the base material 100 of the package 10 including the metal material 100c is removed.

In the RF-tagged package 1 according to the present embodiment, in the RF tag label 2, all of the notches 12 are closed by the glue-killing layer 25, and a part of the antenna element 221 on the left side is at least via the second adhesive layer 24. It is attached so as to overlap with the metal material 100c of the package 10. Since the glue killing layer 25 is provided on the back surface of the second adhesive layer 24, in FIG. 6, there is a gap between the portion of the second adhesive layer 24 where the glue killing layer 25 is not provided and the package 10. However, in fact, the second adhesive layer 24 and the package 10 are in close contact with each other.

When the RF tag label 2 is viewed in a plane with the RF tag label 2 attached to the package 10, the matching circuit 220 is completely contained in the notch 12 of the package 10. The metal material 100c of the package 10 does not exist under the matching circuit 220, and the matching circuit 220 is not affected by the metal material 100c. Therefore, the inductance of the matching circuit 220 does not change significantly.

With respect to the matching circuit 220, in a state where the RF tag label 2 is attached to the package 10, one end side of the antenna element 221 overlaps with the metal material 100c of the package 10 via the second adhesive layer 24, and one antenna element. 221 is in a state where it can be electrostatically coupled to the metal material 100c of the package 10. In FIG. 6, the antenna element 221 and the metal material 100c are not close to each other, but the thickness of the second adhesive layer 24, PET100a, and SPE100b existing between the antenna element 221 and the metal material 100c is thin, so that the antenna element 221 is actually Can be electrostatically coupled to the metal material 100c.

When the antenna element 221 is electrostatically coupled to the metal material 100c of the package 10, the radio wave (current) flowing through the metal material 100c of the package 10 is transmitted to the antenna 22 via the antenna element 221 and is transmitted to the antenna 22. (Current) is transmitted to the metal material 100c of the package 10 via the antenna element 221. Therefore, the metal material 100c of the package 10 functions as a part of the antenna 22 mounted on the RF tag label 2. If the metal material 100c of the package 10 can function as a part of the antenna 22 mounted on the RF tag label 2, even if the size of the RF tag label 2 is made compact, the RF tag label 2 is attached to the package 10. It is possible to obtain the communication performance required for an automatic payment system or the like.

Further, in the package 1 with an RF tag according to the present embodiment, the glue-killing layer 25 of the RF tag label 2 is exposed to the notch 12 on the opposite surface to which the RF tag label 2 is attached. The portion of the notch 12 on the surface has no adhesive force.

From here, the manufacturing process of the package 1 with an RF tag will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a manufacturing apparatus 6 for manufacturing an RF-tagged package 1. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing the package 1 with an RF tag.

As shown in FIG. 7, the manufacturing apparatus 6 for manufacturing the RF-tagged package 1 is an device that operates in-line with the filling machine 7 that fills the package 10 with the contents. The manufacturing apparatus 6 includes a package transport mechanism 60 for individually transporting the package 10 filled with the contents by the filling machine 7, a label affixing mechanism 61 for affixing the RF tag label 2, a package transport mechanism 60, and a label affixing mechanism. A control unit 67 for controlling each of the 61 is provided.

The package transport mechanism 60 for transporting the package 10 is a mechanism for intermittently feeding the package 10 filled with the contents. The form of the package transport mechanism 60 is arbitrary as long as it does not interfere with the attachment of the RF tag label 2 to the package 10. In FIG. 7, the package transport mechanism 60 for transporting the package 10 filled with the contents is in the form of a finger conveyor.

The label affixing mechanism 61 for affixing the RF tag label 2 has data on the label supply unit 62 for supplying the RF tag label 2 using the band-shaped release paper 63 wound in a roll shape and the RF tag label 2 to be affixed to the package 10. It is provided with an encoding unit 64 for encoding (writing), a label attaching unit 65 for attaching the RF tag label 2 to the package 10, and a winding unit 66 for winding the release paper 63 that has passed through the label attaching portion 65.

A plurality of RF tag labels 2 are regularly arranged in a dotted line on the release paper 63 attached to the label supply unit 62. The RF tag label 2 can be peeled off from the release paper 63. The front side of the RF tag label 2 arranged on the release paper 63 is the back side of the RF tag label 2. A part of the second adhesive layer 24 and the glue-killing layer 25 are exposed on the back surface of the RF tag label 2.

The take-up portion 66 is intermittently rotated by a motor. The RF tag label 2 is supplied intermittently from the label supply unit 62 by the intermittent rotation of the winding unit 66. In the manufacturing apparatus 6, when the RF tag label 2 is supplied intermittently from the label supply unit 62, the path of the release paper 63 is set so that the RF tag label 2 is arranged at each of the encoding unit 64 and the label affixing unit 65. It is set.

The encoding unit 64 is realized by a reader / writer corresponding to the RF tag label 2. The encoding unit 64 performs a process of encoding the data transmitted from the control unit 67 to the IC chip 222 of the RF tag label 2, and transmits the encoding result to the control unit 67.

By adjusting the intermittent feed amount of the package transport mechanism 60 and the like, in the label affixing mechanism 61 of the manufacturing apparatus 6, the affixing position of the RF tag label 2 is determined by the glue killing layer 25 when the RF tag label 2 is affixed to the package 10. All of the notches 12 are closed, and a part of the antenna element 221 is set to overlap the metal material 100c of the package 10 at least through the second adhesive layer 24. By pressing the RF tag label 2 from the side of the release paper 63, the label affixing portion 65 affixes the RF tag label 2 to the notch 12 provided in the package 10 in the manner described above.

The control unit 67 controls the package transport mechanism 60 and the label affixing mechanism 61, respectively, and executes a process of affixing the RF tag label 2 to the package 10. FIG. 8 illustrates a process executed by the control unit 67 after intermittently feeding the RF tag label 2 as a method of manufacturing the package 1 with an RF tag.

After intermittently feeding the RF tag label 2, the control unit 67 operates the encoding unit 64 to encode the RF tag label 2 (S1) and the label affixing unit 65 to operate the RF tag label 2 into the package 10. A label affixing step (S2) to be affixed and a step (S3) of intermittently feeding the RF tag label 2 are executed.

The encoding process (S1) will be described. In the encoding step (S1), the control unit 67 first transmits the data to be encoded in the RF tag label 2 to the encoding unit 64, and the encoding unit 64 encodes the data received from the control unit 67 into the RF tag label 2. Execute (S10). The RF tag label 2 in which the encoding unit 64 encodes the data becomes the RF tag label 2 facing the encoding unit 64. When the process (S10) of encoding the data received from the control unit 67 into the RF tag label 2 is executed, the encoding unit 64 transmits an encoding result indicating success or failure of encoding to the control unit 67 (S11). The control unit 67 temporarily stores the encoding result transmitted by the encoding unit 64 (S12) until the RF tag label 2 to be encoded is used by the label affixing unit 65, and the encoding process (S1) is completed. do.

The label attaching step (S2) will be described. Referring to FIG. 7, since the RF tag label 2 in the encoding unit 64 reaches the label attaching unit 65 by being intermittently fed, the RF tag label 2 to be attached to the package 10 in the label attaching step (S2) is ， Becomes the RF tag label 2 that was the object of encoding in the previous encoding process (S1)

Therefore, in the label affixing step (S2), the control unit 67 first confirms the encoding result of the RF tag label 2 affixed to the package 10 by the label affixing unit 65 (S20). As described above, the encoding result of the RF tag label 2 attached to the package 10 is the encoding result in the previous encoding step (S1). Next, the control unit 67 branches the process based on the encoding result (S21). When the encoding result of the RF tag label 2 to be attached to the package 10 indicates an encoding failure, the control unit 67 ends the label attaching step (S2) without attaching the RF tag label to the package 10. When the encoding result of the RF tag label 2 to be attached to the package 10 indicates the success of the encoding, the control unit 67 operates the label affixing unit 65 to attach the RF tag label 2 to the package 10 (S22). Next, the control unit 67 operates the package transport mechanism 60 to intermittently feed the RF-tagged package 1 which is the package 10 to which the RF tag label 2 is attached (S23), and the label affixing step (S2). To finish.

The step (S3) of intermittently feeding the RF tag label 2 will be described. The control unit 67 operates the winding unit 66 to wind the release paper 63, thereby intermittently feeding the RF tag label 2. By intermittently feeding the RF tag label 2, a new RF tag label 2 that is not the target of the encoding process (S1) is sent to the encoding unit 64, and the RF tag label 2 that is the target of the encoding process (S1) is sent. It is sent to the label affixing unit 65.

From here, a modified example of the package 1 with an RF tag will be described.

The RF tag label 2 described with reference to FIG. 5 is only an example of the RF tag label 2. Further, the antenna 22 mounted on the RF tag label 2 is only an example of the antenna 22 mounted on the RF tag label 2.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the RF tag label 3 according to the modified example. The layer structure of the RF tag label 3 according to the modification is different from that of the RF tag label 2. The RF tag label 3 according to the modified example includes an antenna base material 30 on which an antenna 31 and an IC chip 313 bonded to the antenna 31 are mounted, and an adhesive layer 32 laminated on the surface of the antenna base material 30 on which the antenna 31 or the like is not mounted. The glue killing layer 33 is provided so that the notch 12 is at least sized to fit. Since the glue killing layer 33 is provided on the back surface of the adhesive layer 32, in FIG. 9, there is a gap between the portion of the adhesive layer 32 where the glue killing layer 33 is not provided and the package 10 as in FIG. Although it looks like it is empty, the adhesive layer 32 and the package 10 are actually in close contact with each other.

The antenna 31 mounted on the RF tag label 3 according to the modification is also different from the RF tag label 2 described above. The antenna 31 has a loop-shaped matching circuit 310 to which an IC chip 313 is joined, one linear antenna element 312 and one planar antenna element 311, and the linear antenna element 312 and the planar antenna element 311 are matched. The structure is such that the linear antenna element 312 and the planar antenna element 311 are connected to the matching circuit 310 so as to face each other with the circuit 310 interposed therebetween. In the present embodiment, the linear antenna element 312 is connected to the matching circuit 310 via the waveguide line 314b, and the planar antenna element 311 is connected to the matching circuit 310 via the waveguide line 314a.

As shown in FIG. 9, in the RF tag label 3 according to the modified example, the linear antenna element 312 and the matching circuit 310 overlap the notch 12, and all of the planar antenna element 311 is the base material 100 on which the metal material 100c is laminated. It is pasted so that it overlaps with. In FIG. 9, the planar antenna element 311 and the metal material 100c are not close to each other, but the adhesive layers 32, PET100a, and SPE100b existing between the planar antenna element 311 and the metal material 100c are thin, so that they are actually planar. The antenna element 311 can be electrostatically coupled to the metal material 100c.

So far, the package 10 to which the present invention is applied has been described as a spout bag with a cap, but the package 10 to which the present invention is applied is not limited to the spout bag with a cap. The present invention can be applied to various packages 10 other than the spout bag with a cap.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the RF-tagged package 4 according to the modified example 1, and FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the RF-tagged package 5 according to the modified example 2.

The RF-tagged package 4 according to the first modification is a modified example in which a bag with a spout in which aluminum foil is laminated is used as the package 40. As shown in FIG. 10, a spout port 43 for pouring out the contents is formed at the upper left end of the package 40. The seal portion 41 at the location where the spout 43 is formed is provided with notches 42a and 42b for cutting the spout 43. In the package 4 with an RF tag according to the first modification, the RF tag label 2 is attached to the notch 42a in the manner described in the embodiment.

The RF-tagged package 5 according to the modification 2 shown in FIG. 11 has a PTP package for storing a plurality of tablets (tablets) as the package 50, and aluminum foil is laminated on the mount of the package 50. ing. In the package 50 according to the second modification, the portion where the space for accommodating the tablet is not formed becomes the seal portion 51, and the notch 52 is processed on the top side of the seal portion 51. In the package 5 with an RF tag according to the second modification, the RF tag label 2 is attached to the notch 52 in the manner described above and in the manner described in the embodiment.

1 Package with RF tag 10 Package 11 Seal part 12 Notch 2 RF tag label 22 Antenna 220 Matching circuit 221 Antenna element 222 IC chip 23 Antenna base material 24 Second adhesive layer 25 Glue killing layer 3 RF tag label 4 according to a modified example RF-tagged packaging according to Modification 1 5 RF-tagged packaging according to Modification 2 6 Manufacturing equipment 60 Packaging transport mechanism 61 Labeling mechanism 64 Encoding unit 65 Labeling unit 67 Control unit 7 Filling machine

Claims (1)

It is provided with a package that is molded using at least a metal material and has a notch in the margin that does not contain the contents, and an RF tag label attached to the package.
The RF tag label is connected to an IC chip, has an antenna base material on which an antenna having a matching circuit having a size that fits in the notch and an antenna element is mounted, an adhesive layer for being attached to the package, and the matching circuit. It is laminated on the back surface of the adhesive layer according to the arrangement position of the
The RF tag label was attached to the package so that all of the notches were closed by the glue-killing layer and a part of the antenna element overlapped with the metal material of the package through at least the adhesive layer.
A package with an RF tag that features that.

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