JP4524785B2 - RFID tag, RFID tag mounting structure, and RFID tag mounting product - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) tag, an RFID tag mounting structure for mounting the RFID tag on various products, and an RFID tag mounting on which the RFID tag is mounted. It relates to products.

  The RFID tag according to the present invention is suitable when mounted on, for example, a filter element product. In this case, after the filter element is completed, the RFID tag is attached to the housing of the filter element, and information from the RFID tag is obtained. It is possible to perform product trace management by reading the data with high accuracy.

  In general, an RFID tag incorporates an ID code or equivalent identification information (hereinafter simply referred to as identification information) and other information in an integrated circuit, and performs transmission or transmission and reception to an external communication device ( Hereinafter, the identification information and the like are transmitted. As one of the uses of the RFID tag, a product trace system is known. This trace system is obtained from an RFID tag when an RFID tag and an external communication device communicate with each other when, for example, a manufacturing process or a distribution process is necessary. The manufacturing history and the distribution history of the product on which the RFID tag is mounted are tracked and managed from the information such as the ID code / date data / communication location.

  Especially in the field of automobile parts, the trace system is used for quality control in the manufacturing process, authenticity determination in the distribution process, prevention of incorrect parts during maintenance, feedback when defects occur in the market, management of part recycling history, etc. It is desired to manage the history of used products individually.

  As inventions using RFID tags for managing the quality and distribution of products (including parts), for example, JP 2005-242659 A (Patent Document 1), JP 2001-132002 A (Patent Document 2). ), JP-A-2006-3497 (Patent Document 3), JP-A-2005-172153 (Patent Document 4), and the like. The contents of the invention disclosed in each publication will be described below.

  Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-242659 (Patent Document 1) discloses an invention in which an RFID tag is attached to a tire wheel which is a kind of automobile part. In a tire wheel made of a metal material, it is important to attach an RFID tag while avoiding the influence of the metal part. However, in the invention disclosed herein, a recess is provided in the metal part, and the RFID tag is attached to the recess. This problem is addressed by adopting an embedding configuration, placing a high-permeability magnetic body on the base, and fixing the RFID tag with an adhesive.

  Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-132002 (Patent Document 2) discloses an invention in which an RFID tag is attached as a retrofit after manufacturing a manhole cover at a factory for a manhole cover made of a metal material. Yes. In the present invention, a manhole having a sufficient thickness is formed by drilling, and an adhesive or a hardener is filled therein with a sufficient thickness to avoid the influence of the metal material.

  Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-3497 (Patent Document 3) discloses an invention for preventing the sensitivity of an RFID tag from being lowered when attached to a metal part. In the present invention, a label technology for mounting an RFID tag portion away from (projecting from) a product is described.

  Furthermore, in the above Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-172153 (Patent Document 4), when attaching an RFID tag to a bearing product mainly composed of a metal material, in order to avoid influence on communication performance by the metal material, An invention for attaching to a non-metallic material portion is disclosed.

JP 2005-242659 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-132002 JP 2006-3497 A JP 2005-172153 A

  An air filter element for a large automobile (hereinafter referred to as an air filter element) includes a substantially cylindrical filter body concentric with the cylindrical reinforcement body inside a cylindrical reinforcement body in which a large number of cylindrical vents are opened. It is housed and the end of the cylindrical reinforcement is closed with foamed urethane resin. One end of the tubular reinforcing body is completely sealed (sealed end), the other is sealed between the tubular reinforcing body and the filter body, and the inside of the filter body is opened (open end) (a later-described figure). 3, see FIG.

  Thereby, the air suck | inhaled from the ventilation port of a cylindrical reinforcement body is filtered by the filter body, and is exhausted from the inner side of a filter body cylinder. Furthermore, the air filter element is housed in a casing of an air filter, and a pipe through which the intake air is taken from outside the vehicle and a pipe through which the exhaust gas is led to the engine unit are attached.

  If the RFID tag is attached to the inside of the paper filter, there is a risk that if the component falls off, the component may be taken into the engine and cause serious damage. Limited to outside. Furthermore, since the filter body vibrates violently due to pulsation caused by engine intake, it is not suitable for attaching an RFID tag.

  When attaching an RFID tag to the cylindrical reinforcing body, it is necessary to devise a technique for avoiding an adverse effect on wireless communication from the metal material constituting the cylindrical reinforcing body.

  In the invention described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-242659 (Patent Document 1) described above, in order to avoid adverse effects from the metal material, the high permeability magnetic material is disposed on the base of the RFID tag, but the metal material is a thin plate. In the air filter element constituted by the above, there is a margin in the mounting space, and there has been a demand for a device that avoids the influence of the metal part without a special base part. Further, the non-metal portion of the air filter element has a problem that the release agent used at the time of molding is adhered, and the adhesive cannot be used for fixing the RFID tag.

  Moreover, although the said Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2001-132002 (patent document 2) has described the invention which attaches an RFID tag retrofit after manufacturing this manhole cover for the manhole cover comprised with a metal material. In the present invention, a sufficient thickness of the metal material is necessary, and the present invention cannot be applied to the air filter element according to the present invention in which the metal material is a thin plate.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-3497 (Patent Document 3) describes an invention for attaching the RFID tag portion separately (projecting), but the outside of the air filter element is surrounded by a casing. There is a problem that it cannot be applied to air filter element products due to severe restrictions on mounting space.

  Furthermore, in the above Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-172153 (Patent Document 4), when attaching an RFID tag to a product mainly composed of a metal material, in order to avoid an influence on the communication performance by the metal material, a non-metal in the product is described. An invention for attaching to a material part is shown. However, in the present invention, it is necessary to process a mechanism for fitting the non-metallic material part to the metallic material part, and it cannot be applied to an air filter element having a metallic cylinder composed of a thin metal material. It was.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an RFID tag which can be easily mounted on a product and can be reliably mounted, a mounting structure thereof, and an RFID tag mounting product. In particular, it is possible to provide an RFID tag that can be easily mounted in a groove portion provided in a foamed urethane seal portion of an air filter element for an automobile and can be more reliably mounted, and avoids adverse effects from a metal material portion. It can be mounted without causing instability due to the release agent adhering to the seal part without severe space restrictions between the element and the casing, and stable and highly sensitive communication with external communication devices. The purpose is to provide technology to be realized.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following configuration. That is,
a) a first aspect of the present invention, sandwiched between two elastic sheets which RFID inlet has a width greater than a width of the RFID inlet, and has a bonded together structure by adhesive having flexibility, the 2 A plurality of spike pins are penetrated through one elastic sheet in the width direction of the RFID inlet and parallel to the surface of the RFID inlet .
b) The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the elastic sheet is a foamable rubber sheet or a non-foamable rubber sheet.

c) The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the elastic sheet has a thickness of 1 mm or more .

d ) The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that both ends of the spike pin have a shape that is cut at an acute angle in both directions perpendicularly or in opposite directions at both ends.
e ) In the invention according to claim 5 , the RFID tag is attached to a groove provided on the surface of the product by a frictional force between a side wall of the groove and the two elastic sheets or a biting force of the spike pin. It is characterized by being able to.

f ) An invention according to claim 6 is an RFID tag mounting product in which the RFID tag according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is mounted by the mounting structure of the RFID tag according to claim 5 .
g ) According to the invention of claim 7 , the product is a filter element comprising a cylindrical filtration part and end plate parts closing both end faces of the filtration part , and the groove is formed in the end plate part of the filter element. It is a ring-shaped groove provided.

h ) The invention according to claim 8 is an RFID tag manufacturing method, the step of cleaning and degreasing the RFID inlet, the step of applying an adhesive to the lower elastic sheet, and the lower elastic sheet Any one of the step of attaching the RFID inlet to the step, the step of applying an adhesive to the RFID inlet, the step of attaching the upper elastic sheet to the RFID inlet, and the upper elastic sheet or the lower elastic sheet On the other hand, the method includes a step of inserting a plurality of spike pins in the width direction of the RFID inlet and parallel to the surface of the RFID inlet .

  The RFID tag according to the present invention has a configuration in which the upper and lower sides of the RFID inlet are sandwiched between two elastic sheets, so that the RFID tag is mounted in a groove portion provided in an end plate portion of a foamed urethane of a product, for example, an air filter element for automobiles. In addition, it is possible to mount more reliably by providing a plurality of spike pins penetrating one of the upper and lower elastic sheets. This avoids adverse effects from the metal material part, and can be mounted without causing mounting instability due to the release agent adhering to the end plate part, especially without severe spatial restrictions between the air filter element and the casing. It has become possible to realize stable and highly sensitive communication with an external communication device.

  First, an air filter element for a large automobile (hereinafter referred to as an air filter element) which is one of the target products (RFID tag mounting products) of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the filter element 0301.
As shown in the figure, an air filter element 0301 according to the present invention includes a cylindrical reinforcing body 0304 having a large number of air intake holes on the side surface of a cylindrical metal cylinder, and both ends (one end is shown in the figure) of the cylindrical reinforcing body 0304. And an end plate portion 0302 that holds an internal filter body and forms an air flow path.

  The end plate portion 0302 is made of a flexible and lightweight resin such as a foaming urethane resin. The end plate portion 0302 is provided with grooves necessary for the work process in order to maintain the filter element shape.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a cross section of the filter element 0301.
As shown in the figure, the cylindrical reinforcement body 0304 of the filter element 0301 has a large number of intake holes from which intake air 0403 flows. A filter body 0402 is disposed inside the cylindrical reinforcing body 0304, and its upper end is sealed by a (disc-shaped) end plate part 0302, and its lower end is sealed by an annular end plate part 0401. The intake air 0403 is filtered by the filter body 0402, sucked into the filter body 0402, and exhausted 0404 as clean air from the inside of the filter body 0402.

Next, the definition of the RFID tag will be described.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an RFID inlet 0601 serving as a nucleus of the RFID tag.
As shown in the figure, a combination of an RFID chip 0602, an antenna 0603 connected to the RFID chip 0602, and a substrate 0604 on which the RFID chip and the antenna are integrally mounted is combined with an RFID inlet (or simply (Referred to as an inlet) 0601, and the RFID inlet 0601 provided with a utility such as a protective transparent film or an adhesive for mounting is referred to as an RFID tag, and a product to which the RFID tag is attached is referred to as an RFID tag mounted product.

  In FIG. 4, if a part such as an RFID tag is dropped inside the filter body 0402, there is a risk that the part may be taken into the engine and cause serious damage. It is limited to the outside of the filter body 0402. Further, since the filter body 0402 vibrates violently due to pulsation caused by engine intake, it is not preferable for attaching an RFID tag.

  When an RFID tag is attached to the cylindrical reinforcing member, it is necessary to devise measures for avoiding adverse effects on radio communication from a metal material, but the filter element 0301 is further housed in a casing (not shown). In addition, there is no dimensional allowance outside the cylindrical reinforcing body portion (between the cylindrical reinforcing body portion and the casing). For this reason, it can be seen that the attachment position of the RFID tag is limited to the end plate portion 0302 or 0401.

  In view of the above circumstances, in the present invention, the RFID tag is attached (mounted) to the ring-shaped groove 0303 provided in the end plate portion 0302 of FIGS. 3 and 4.

Next, the ring-shaped groove 0303 for attaching the RFID tag will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in the figure, the ring-shaped groove 0303 has a rectangular cross section with respect to the cross section 0201 of the end plate portion 0302. The rectangular cross-section has a groove sidewall 0502 and a bottom surface 0501. In addition, since the release agent adheres to the ring-shaped groove 0303 as well as the other end plate portions, there is a problem that it is difficult to fix the RFID tag using an adhesive.

  Considering the curved surface shape of the ring-shaped groove 0303 in FIG. 5, it is mechanically easy to attach along the side wall 0502. However, the RFID inlet has high sensitivity in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, the RFID tag 0701 attached along the side wall 0502 has a problem that the sensitivity is low in the end surface direction 0702 of the end plate portion 0302. This means that it is difficult to read information from the RFID tag.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, when the RFID tag 0801 is attached along the bottom surface 0501 of the ring-shaped groove 0303, the undulation is applied to the inside of the RFID tag bent along the ring-shaped groove 0303 (center side of the ring). 0802 is generated, and there is a problem that it is difficult to reliably fix the ring-shaped groove 0303 or the appearance is deteriorated.

The present invention has been made for the purpose of solving the above problems.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a preferred embodiment of an RFID tag 0101 according to the present invention.
As shown in the figure, an RFID tag 0101 according to the present embodiment has two elastic sheets such as foam rubber or chloroprene rubber, preferably a non-foam rubber sheet (0103) above and below a center RFID inlet 0102. (Lower side) and 0104 (upper side)).

  The RFID inlet 0102 and the upper and lower rubber sheets 0103 and 0104 are bonded together with a rubber adhesive having excellent flexibility even after curing. The thickness of the RFID inlet 0102 is 0.5 mm or less, and the thickness of the upper and lower rubber sheets 0103, 0104 is 1 mm or more, preferably 2 mm or more for convenience of protecting the RFID inlet and attaching a spike pin described later. The thicknesses of the upper rubber sheet 0103 and the lower rubber sheet 0104 are not necessarily the same, and the thickness of the rubber sheet through which the spike pin passes (the upper rubber sheet 0103 in the case of FIG. 1) is made thicker. May be.

  Further, the width of the upper rubber sheet 0103 and the lower rubber sheet 0104 is approximately the same as the width of the ring-shaped groove, and the width of the RFID inlet 0102 at the center is less than that. A plurality of (two to several: five in the example of FIG. 1) spike pins 0105 pass through the side of the upper rubber sheet 0104.

  The material of the spike pin 0105 is preferably a spring stainless steel equivalent to SUS304 having spring properties and corrosion resistance. The diameter of the spike pin 0105 is about 0.3 to 0.8 mm, and the length of the spike pin 0105 is such that it protrudes about 1 to 2 mm from both side surfaces of the upper rubber sheet 0104.

Next, an RFID tag fixing method (attachment method or mounting method) to the ring-shaped groove on the end plate portion 0201 will be described with reference to FIG.
The RFID tag 0101 has substantially the same cross-sectional shape as the cross-sectional shape 0202 of the ring-shaped groove, and is embedded in the ring-shaped groove. At this time, the spike pin bites into the side wall of the ring-shaped groove, and the RFID tag 0101 is fixed to the ring-shaped groove by the biting force (hooking force).

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 9, the RFID tag becomes an RFID tag 0901 curved along the ring-shaped groove with respect to the depth direction of the paper, but the undulation generated in the RFID inlet itself sandwiched between the upper and lower elastic tags. Since it is absorbed by a certain rubber sheet and does not come out on the surface, it does not become an obstacle to fixation or deteriorate the appearance.

  As described above, the RFID tag 0101 can be fixed to the end plate portion 0201 without using an adhesive, but a substance that inhibits adhesion, such as a release agent, is removed from the ring-shaped groove, or first. When there is no substance such as a release agent that inhibits adhesion, the RFID tag can be fixed only with the adhesive without using the spike pin. In this case, the RFID tag has a simple structure like the RFID tag 1401 shown in FIG.

  An RFID tag 1401 shown in FIG. 14 is obtained by sandwiching the upper and lower sides of an RFID inlet 0102 in the center between non-foaming rubber sheets 0103 (lower side) and 0104 (upper side) such as foaming rubber or chloroprene rubber. The inlet 0102 and the non-foaming rubber sheet 0103, 0104 such as foaming rubber or chloroprene rubber are bonded together with a rubber adhesive having excellent flexibility even after curing.

  The thickness of the RFID inlet 0102 is 0.5 mm or less, and the thickness of the upper and lower rubber sheets 0103, 0104 is 1 mm or more, preferably 2 mm or more for convenience of protecting the RFID inlet. The width of the upper and lower rubber sheets 0103, 0104 is substantially the same as the width of the ring-shaped groove (in order to fix the upper and lower rubber sheets 0103 by the frictional force between the side wall of the ring-shaped groove and the upper and lower rubber sheets 0103, 0104). , 0104 may be slightly larger than the width of the ring-shaped groove), and the width of the RFID inlet 0102 is less than that.

  Even when spike pins are used, this does not prevent supplementary adhesives from being used, but when fixed with mechanical spike pins without using adhesives, the RFID tag can be removed. For example, it is convenient when the air filter element is regenerated and recycled. In this case, if an RFID tag removed from a certain air filter element is reattached to the same air filter element after regeneration, the same ID can be given to the air filter element after regeneration. Benefits that make it easier to trace.

  The idea that a remanufactured product with the same ID as the pre-reproduction ID can be made, for example, is that the user who has commissioned the regeneration receives a guarantee that it has been recycled using the consigned used product. As a result, the value of recycled products can be improved.

  This idea is not limited to the air filter element. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, when a tire 1501 for an automobile or the like is regenerated, a removable RFID tag 1502 is attached to a part of the tire 1501. Recycled products can be traced. This idea can also be applied to any other product that may be recycled and reused.

  In FIG. 1, the spike pin 0105 penetrates the upper rubber sheet 0104, but it may be configured to penetrate the lower rubber sheet 0105 as shown in FIG. 10. The RFID tag 1001 in FIG. 10 has the same configuration as that in FIG. 1 in which the upper and lower sides of the RFID inlet 0102 in the center are sandwiched between non-foaming rubber sheets 0103 (lower side) and 0104 (upper side) such as foaming rubber or chloroprene rubber. However, a plurality of (two to several: five in the example of FIG. 10) spike pins 0105 pass through the side surface of the lower rubber sheet 0103.

  The dimensions of the RFID inlet 0102, the upper rubber sheet 0103, the lower rubber sheet 0104, and the spike pin 0105 may be the same as those in FIG. The thicknesses of the upper rubber sheet 0103 and the lower rubber sheet 0104 do not necessarily have to be the same, and the thickness of the rubber sheet (the lower rubber sheet 0103 in FIG. 10) on the side through which the spike pin passes is made thicker. May be.

  When the spike pin 0105 is passed through the lower rubber sheet 0103, the fixation is performed near the bottom surface of the ring-shaped groove, and the RFID tag 1001 can be more firmly fixed. However, since insertion into the ring-shaped groove becomes difficult to that extent, it is desirable to compare and determine the rigidity of fixation and ease of insertion and select appropriately.

  FIG. 11 shows one spike pin 0105 taken out. As shown in the figure, the spike pin 0105 is formed by cutting from one strand. However, when the angle is cut at the time of cutting, both ends of the spike pin are sharpened as shown in FIG. Spike pins 1201 can be obtained. By using this acute angle spike pin 1201, it becomes easy to penetrate the upper rubber sheet 0104 or the lower rubber sheet 0103, and the productivity is improved.

  In addition, when the sharp edges are aligned in the direction shown in FIG. 12, when the RFID tag 0101 is inserted into the cross section of the ring groove, the angle is set only in the insertion direction (traveling direction).

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a procedure for manufacturing an RFID tag according to the present invention.
As shown in the figure, the RFID tag according to the present invention starts manufacturing (step ST1301), first performs a cleaning and degreasing process (step ST1302) to improve adhesion of the adhesive, and then lowers the lower side. An adhesive is applied to the rubber sheet (step ST1303), an RFID inlet is then attached to the lower rubber sheet (step ST1304), an adhesive is then applied to the RFID inlet (step ST1305), and then the RFID inlet The upper rubber sheet is pasted (step ST1306), and then dried (step 1307), and spike pins are inserted into the upper (or lower) rubber sheet (step ST1308). The RFID tag is completed through the above steps (step ST1309).

  In the above-described embodiment, an air filter element for automobiles, particularly large automobiles, has been described as an example. However, the RFID tag system according to the present invention is not limited to automobile parts, and a release agent is used when molding foamed resin. The present invention can also be applied to a product used, for example, a tracing system for parts of all household appliances such as an air conditioner and a vacuum cleaner. By changing the color of the upper and lower rubber sheets of the RFID tag for each product to which the RFID tag is attached, the management of the RFID tag is facilitated.

It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of the RFID tag which concerns on this invention. It is a fragmentary sectional view of the product which mounted the RFID tag by embodiment shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the air filter element for motor vehicles. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the air filter element for motor vehicles. It is a perspective sectional view showing an outline of a ring-shaped groove of an air filter element for automobiles. It is a front view which shows schematic structure of a RFID inlet. It is a figure which shows the problem of the RFID inlet attached to the side wall of a ring-shaped groove. It is a figure which shows the problem of the RFID inlet attached to the bottom face of a ring-shaped groove. It is a perspective sectional view showing the attachment situation of the RFID tag concerning the present invention. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the RFID tag mounting product which concerns on another embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the shape of the spike pin which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the shape of the spike pin which concerns on another Example of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the process which manufactures the RFID tag of this invention. It is a figure which shows the RFID tag which concerns on another Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows the condition which applied the RFID tag of this invention to the reproduction | regeneration tire.

Explanation of symbols

0101: RFID tag 0102: RFID inlet 0103: Lower rubber sheet 0104: Upper rubber sheet 0105: Spike pin 0201: End plate section 0301: Filter element 0302: End plate section 0303: Ring-shaped groove 0304: Tubular reinforcing body 0401 : Annular end plate portion 0402: filter body 0403: intake air 0404: exhaust 0501: bottom surface 0502: side wall 0601: RFID inlet 0602: RFID chip 0603: antenna 0604: base material 0701: RFID tag 0702 attached along the side wall : End plate end face direction 0801: RFID tag attached along the bottom face 0802: Rippling inside RFID tag 0901: RFID tag 1001 curved along a ring-shaped groove : RFID tag 1201: Sharp spike pin 1401: RFID tag 1501: Recycled tire 1502: RFID tag

Claims (8)

Sandwiched between two elastic sheets which RFID inlet has a width greater than a width of the RFID inlet, together they have stuck together the structure by adhesive having flexibility, the two elastic sheet, wherein An RFID tag comprising a plurality of spike pins penetrating in a width direction of the RFID inlet and parallel to the surface of the RFID inlet .   The RFID tag according to claim 1, wherein the elastic sheet is a foamable rubber sheet or a non-foamable rubber sheet.   The RFID tag according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the elastic sheet has a thickness of 1 mm or more. The spike pin is vertical at both ends or,, RFID tag according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it has a sharp cut shape in the opposite direction at both ends. The RFID tag is a groove provided in the surface of the product, from claim 1, characterized in that attached by frictional force or biting force of the studs between said between side wall of the groove two elastic sheet 4. The RFID tag mounting structure according to any one of 4 above . RFID tag mounting product characterized in that RFID tag according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is mounted by the mounting structure of the RFID tag according to claim 5, wherein. The product is a filter element including a cylindrical filtration part and end plate parts closing both end faces of the filtration part, and the groove is a ring-shaped groove provided in the end plate part of the filter element. The RFID tag mounting product according to claim 6 . A method of manufacturing an RFID tag, including a step of cleaning and degreasing an RFID inlet, a step of applying an adhesive to the lower elastic sheet, and a step of attaching the RFID inlet to the lower elastic sheet , A step of applying an adhesive to the RFID inlet, a step of attaching an upper elastic sheet to the RFID inlet, and a width direction of the RFID inlet on either the upper elastic sheet or the lower elastic sheet And a step of inserting a plurality of spike pins parallel to the surface of the RFID inlet .

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