Tool

Abstract

In order to ensure communication stability, maintain a compact size, and enable communication with a reader / writer regardless of the orientation or orientation of the tool in a tool having at least a portion made of a metal, this tool (100) is provided with a shaft body (10) having at least a portion made of a metal, and an outer peripheral surface of the shaft body (10), a tool (100) in which grooves (G) are provided continuously or intermittently in the circumferential direction is provided with: non-metal spacers (20) provided in the grooves (G); electronic tags (30) attached to the shaft body (10) with the spacer (20) interposed therebetween and provided continuously or intermittently in the circumferential direction; and a sheath member (40) that covers the electronic tag (30) from the outside.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tool. Background Art

[0002] For example, at aircraft maintenance sites, the loss of tools such as sockets directly affects safety, so thorough tool management is performed.

[0003] Here, as a conventional tool management, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, an electronic tag is attached to a tool, and wireless communication is performed between the electronic tag and a reader / writer.

[0004] However, when an electronic tag is attached to a metal tool, a part of the radio wave transmitted from the electronic tag is reflected by the tool, whereby the radio waves cancel each other out and weaken, resulting in a problem of impaired communication stability.

[0005] In addition, as another problem, the direction of radio wave transmission is limited to a certain range depending on the shape or installation location of the electronic tag. As a result, there is a problem such as being unable to communicate with a reader / writer depending on the direction or posture of the tool.

[0006] In order to transmit radio waves in all directions, it is also conceivable to surround the entire circumference of the tool with an electronic tag, but in this case, other problems arise, such as an increase in the size of the tool.

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-333030 Summary of the invention

[0008] Therefore, the invention of this application is completed to solve the above-mentioned problems at one go, and its main subject is: in a tool at least part of which is made of metal, the stability of communication can be ensured, the size can be kept compact, and communication with a reader / writer can be carried out regardless of the orientation or posture of the tool.

[0009] That is, the tool of the present invention includes a metal shaft body in at least a portion, wherein a groove is continuously or intermittently arranged along the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft body, and the tool has: a non-metallic spacer arranged in the groove; an electronic tag installed on the shaft body via the spacer and arranged continuously or intermittently along the circumferential direction; and a sheath member covering the electronic tag from the outside.

[0010] According to the tool constructed in this way, since a non-metallic spacer is provided in the groove provided in the metal shaft body and the electronic tag is mounted via the spacer, it is possible to suppress reflection of radio waves transmitted from the electronic tag by the shaft body, thereby ensuring stability of communication. In addition, since grooves are provided in the shaft body instead of simply setting the spacers and electronic tags on the shaft body, the tool can be kept compact. Furthermore, since the electronic tags are provided continuously or intermittently along the circumference, communication with the reader / writer can be performed regardless of the orientation or posture of the tool.

[0011] Preferably, the groove is continuously provided over the entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface of the shaft body. With such a structure, the radio waves from the electronic tag can be transmitted in all directions, making the communication between the electronic tag and the reader / writer more reliable.

[0012] Preferably, a pair of inward surfaces sandwiching the bottom surface of the groove from both sides in the axial direction function as restriction surfaces that restrict movement of the sheath member in the axial direction. With such a structure, it is possible to prevent the attached sheath member from falling off.

[0013] In order to stably attach the spacer and the electronic tag to the shaft body, a method of insert-molding the sheath member from the outside thereof may be considered. However, this method has the risk of the electronic tag being damaged by heat. Therefore, it is preferable that the sheath member is composed of a plurality of divided members divided in the circumferential direction, and the divided members adjacent to each other are connected to each other. According to such a structure, by connecting the divided members to each other, the spacer and the electronic tag can be firmly attached to the shaft body, and the heat influence can be greatly reduced compared with the insert molding method.

[0014] As a more specific structure, the following structure can be cited: the circumferential end faces of the adjacent split members are opposite to each other, a recess is provided on the circumferential end face of one of the split members, and a convex portion entering the recess is provided on the circumferential end face of the other split member, and these recesses and convex portions are connected.

[0015] Preferably, the plurality of dividing members have the same shape as each other. In this way, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0016] Preferably, the spacer is provided with a recessed portion recessed radially inward. According to such a structure, since the electronic tag is mounted so that an IC (integrated circuit) chip constituting the electronic tag is housed in the recessed portion, the tool can be kept compact.

[0017] Preferably, a chamfered portion is provided at a location on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft body corresponding to the recessed portion. With such a structure, the thickness of the spacer can be ensured by the amount of chamfering, and the recessed portion can be provided rationally.

[0018] The specific structure of the electronic tag is as follows: the electronic tag comprises: an internal antenna located radially inward; an external antenna located radially outward of the internal antenna; an insulating sheet sandwiched between the internal antenna and the external antenna; and an IC chip disposed on the internal antenna or the external antenna.

[0019] Preferably, the spacer is cylindrical and has a notch extending from one axial end to the other axial end. With such a structure, the notch can be expanded while being fitted into the groove of the shaft body, and the manufacturability is excellent.

[0020] As another method for solving the problem of heat influence due to the insert molding, there is a method in which the shaft body, the spacer, the electronic tag, and the sheath member overlap each other and have an insertion hole into which a common fastener is inserted.

[0021] With such a structure, the shaft, the spacer, the electronic tag and the sheath member can be fastened by fasteners, thereby eliminating the thermal influence on the electronic tag and stably mounting the spacer and the electronic tag on the shaft.

[0022] Furthermore, as another embodiment, there may be an embodiment in which the spacer and the sheath member are press-fitted into the groove of the shaft body. Through such a structure, the thermal influence on the electronic tag can also be eliminated, and the spacer and the electronic tag can be firmly installed on the shaft.

[0023] According to the present invention thus constituted, in a tool at least partly made of metal, stability of communication can be ensured, the size can be kept compact, and communication with a reader / writer can be performed regardless of the orientation or posture of the tool. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 It is a perspective view schematically showing the structure of a tool according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of a tool according to the same embodiment. Figure 3 It is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the structure of a tool according to the same embodiment. Figure 4 It is a perspective view schematically showing the structure of a spacer according to the same embodiment. Figure 5 It is a perspective view schematically showing the structure of a sheath member according to the same embodiment. Figure 6 It is a perspective view schematically showing the structure of a spacer according to another embodiment. Figure 7 It is a perspective view schematically showing the structure of a tool according to another embodiment. Figure 8 It is a perspective view schematically showing the structure of a tool according to another embodiment. Fig. 9 It is a perspective view schematically showing the structure of a tool according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Hereinafter, the tool of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0026] The tool 100 of this embodiment is used, for example, at a maintenance site of an aircraft, a vehicle, a railway vehicle, or a ship. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the tool 100 is a socket 100 formed with a fitting hole H1 for fitting a fastener and a square insertion hole H2 for inserting a square drive provided on the head of a wrench.

[0027] The sleeve 100 includes a metal shaft body 10 at least in a portion thereof. The shaft body 10 herein is a cylindrical member formed with the fitting hole H1 and the insertion square hole H2 and made entirely of metal.

[0028] like Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , a groove G formed along the circumferential direction is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft body 10 . The groove G in the present embodiment is continuously provided over the entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface of the shaft body 10 .

[0029] More specifically, in the shaft body 10 of this embodiment, the diameter of the square tenon side member 12 formed with the square insertion hole H2 is larger than the diameter of the fastener side member 11 formed with the fitting hole H1, and the groove G is formed in the square tenon side member 12.

[0030] Moreover, if Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the sleeve 100 of the present embodiment includes: a spacer 20 provided in the groove G; an electronic tag 30 attached to the shaft body 10 via the spacer 20; and a sheath member 40 covering the electronic tag 30 from the outside.

[0031] like Figure 2 As shown, the spacer 20 is a member for ensuring a distance from the outer surface of the shaft body 10 to the electronic tag 30 described later, in other words, a non-metallic member that electrically separates (disconnects) the shaft body 10 and the electronic tag 30 .

[0032] The spacer 20 is a cylindrical member made of, for example, resin, and has an inner diameter that is equal to or slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the groove G.

[0033] With this structure, the spacer 20 is installed in close contact with the groove G by passing the spacer 20 through the fastener-side member 11 or the square-tenon-side member 12 of the shaft body 10 while expanding.

[0034] like Figure 4 As shown in the upper half of the figure, a recessed portion 21 recessed radially inward is provided on a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the spacer 20. Figure 4 As shown in the lower half of , a flat portion 22 located radially inward compared to other portions is provided on the inner side of the recessed portion 21, that is, on the inner peripheral surface of the spacer 20.

[0035] Under this structure, if Figure 3 As shown, in the outer peripheral surface of the shaft body 10 , a chamfered portion 13 is provided at a portion corresponding to the recessed portion 21 , in other words, at a portion opposite to the flat portion 22 , and the flat portion 22 contacts the chamfered portion 13 .

[0036] In addition, if Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, annular grooves 23 formed along the circumferential direction are respectively provided at one axial end portion and the other axial end portion of the outer circumferential surface of the spacer 20 .

[0037] like Figure 2 As shown, the electronic tag 30 performs wireless communication with a reader / writer (not shown) and stores various information readable by the reader / writer. The electronic tag 30 includes at least an IC chip 31 and an antenna unit 32 provided on the IC chip 31 .

[0038] like Figure 3 As shown, in the electronic tag 30 of this embodiment, the antenna unit 32 is composed of an inner antenna 33 located radially inside and an outer antenna 34 located radially outside of the inner antenna 33 , and an insulating sheet 35 is interposed between the inner antenna 33 and the outer antenna 34 .

[0039] In the present embodiment, the IC chip 31 is connected to the internal antenna 33 and is arranged so as to be accommodated in the above-mentioned recessed portion 21. In addition, the IC chip 31 may be connected to the external antenna 34 instead of the internal antenna 33.

[0040] In the present embodiment, the internal antenna 33 and the external antenna 34 are formed on an antenna substrate 36 such as a flexible substrate.

[0041] More specifically, the cross-sectional shape of the antenna substrate 36 perpendicular to the axial direction of the sleeve 100 is a C-shape obtained by cutting off a part of a circle.

[0042] In the present embodiment, the cutout portion 36 x of the antenna substrate 36 on which the inner antenna 33 is formed and the cutout portion 36 x of the antenna substrate 36 on which the outer antenna 34 is formed are arranged to face opposite directions to each other.

[0043] The inner antenna 33 and the outer antenna 34 are formed of, for example, photoresist and form a closed loop. The inner antenna 33 and the outer antenna 34 are not necessarily formed of photoresist, and various forming methods such as cutting or laser processing may be used.

[0044] In this embodiment, the inner antenna 33 and the outer antenna 34 are formed by four sides surrounding a rectangular area, and the rectangular area surrounded by the inner antenna 33 and the rectangular area surrounded by the outer antenna 34 are arranged to face opposite directions. However, the shapes of the internal antenna 33 and the external antenna 34 are not limited thereto, and one or both of the internal antenna 33 and the external antenna 34 may be, for example, a rectangular sheet-shaped member. In addition, the shapes of the internal antenna 33 and the external antenna 34 are not necessarily the same.

[0045] The shapes and arrangements of the inner antenna 33 and the outer antenna 34 and the shapes and arrangements of the antenna substrate 36 are not limited thereto, and may be modified as appropriate.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, the sheath member 40 is used to protect the electronic tag 30 and is, for example, a cylindrical member made of a hard resin.

[0047] Here, the outer diameter of the sheath member 40 is larger than that of the shaft body 10. In other words, the outer peripheral surface of the sheath member 40 is located radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft body 10. However, the outer peripheral surface of the sheath member 40 may be located inside the groove G of the shaft body 10.

[0048] In this embodiment, if Figure 5 As shown, the sheath member 40 is composed of a plurality of divided members 41 divided in the circumferential direction.

[0049] More specifically, the sheath member 40 is composed of a pair of split members 41, each of which has a shape obtained by dividing a cylinder into two halves. In other words, the split members 41 of the present embodiment have a semicircular cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the axial direction.

[0050] Here, the divided members 41 have the same shape as each other, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost.

[0051] These split components 41 are connected so as not to be separated, specifically, ultrasonically welded to each other. That is, these split components 41 are given vibrations caused by ultrasound, so that the contacting parts (hereinafter referred to as contact parts) rub against each other, generate friction heat, and the contact parts are melted and welded by the friction heat. Furthermore, when the sheath member 40 is composed of three or more divided members 41 , the divided members 41 adjacent to each other may be welded together by ultrasonic welding.

[0052] In more detail, Figure 5 As shown, each of the pair of divided members 41 has a pair of circumferential end faces 411 , and the circumferential end faces 411 of one divided member 41 and the circumferential end faces 411 of the other divided member 41 are welded to each other in a state where they face each other.

[0053] A recess 412 is provided on the circumferential end surface 411 of one split member 41, and a protrusion 413 is provided on the circumferential end surface 411 of the other split member 41. When the protrusion 413 enters the recesses 412, ultrasonic welding is performed using the recesses 412 and the protrusions 413 as welding sites.

[0054] However, these divided members 41 are not necessarily connected by ultrasonic welding, and may be bonded by adhesive, welded, fastened by fasteners such as resin screws, or engaged by fitting the protrusion 413 into the recess 412 .

[0055] Here, as described above, the pair of split members 41 have the same shape. Focusing on one split member 41 , the recessed portion 412 is provided on one of the pair of circumferential end faces 411 , and the convex portion 413 is provided on the other circumferential end face 411 .

[0056] An annular protrusion 42 formed along the circumferential direction is respectively provided at one axial end portion and the other axial end portion of the inner circumferential surface of each split member 41. By embedding these annular protrusions 42 into the annular groove 23 provided in the above-mentioned spacer 20, the sleeve member 40 is installed in the groove G of the shaft body 10 through the spacer 20.

[0057] In this way, when the sheath member 40 is installed in the groove G of the shaft body 10, Figure 2 As shown, the surfaces sandwiching the bottom surface 15 of the groove G from both sides in the axial direction, that is, the pair of inner surfaces 14 function as restricting surfaces that restrict the movement of the sheath member 40 in the axial direction.

[0058] More specifically, the groove G of the shaft body 10 is formed by a bottom surface 15 along the axial direction of the shaft body 10 and a pair of inward surfaces 14 sandwiching the bottom surface 15 from both sides in the axial direction. These inward surfaces 14 serve as the above-mentioned restriction surfaces.

[0059] If the sleeve 100 is constructed in this way, since a non-metallic spacer 20 is provided in the groove G provided in the metal shaft 10 and the electronic tag 30 is installed through the spacer 20, the radio waves sent from the electronic tag 30 can be suppressed from being reflected by the shaft 10, thereby ensuring the stability of communication. On this basis, since the spacer 20 and the electronic tag 30 are not simply set on the shaft body 10, but the groove G is set on the shaft body 10, the sleeve 100 can be kept compact, and since the electronic tag 30 is set continuously or intermittently along the circumference, communication with the reader / writer can be carried out regardless of the orientation or posture of the sleeve 100.

[0060] Furthermore, since the groove G is continuously provided over the entire periphery of the outer peripheral surface of the shaft body 10 , the radio waves from the electronic tag 30 can be transmitted in all directions, making the communication between the electronic tag 30 and the reader / writer more reliable.

[0061] Furthermore, since the pair of inner surfaces 14 forming the groove G function as restricting surfaces for restricting the movement of the sheath member 40 in the axial direction, the attached sheath member 40 can be prevented from falling off.

[0062] In addition, since the sheath component 40 is composed of a plurality of split components 41 divided in the circumferential direction, the adjacent split components 41 are ultrasonically welded to each other, so that in addition to firmly installing the spacer 20 and the electronic tag 30 on the shaft body 10, the thermal impact on the electronic tag 30 can also be greatly reduced.

[0063] Furthermore, since the recessed portion 21 recessed radially inward is provided in the spacer 20 , the IC chip 31 constituting the electronic tag 30 is accommodated in the recessed portion 21 , so that the sleeve 100 can be kept compact.

[0064] Furthermore, since the chamfered portion 13 is provided at a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the shaft body 10 corresponding to the recessed portion 21 , the thickness of the spacer 20 can be ensured by the amount of the chamfer, and the recessed portion 21 can be provided rationally.

[0065] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0066] For example, the groove G formed in the shaft body 10 is continuously formed throughout the entire circumference in the above-mentioned embodiment, but may be continuously formed leaving only a portion of the circumference, or may be intermittently formed throughout the circumference. Depending on the shape of the groove G, the spacer 20 , the electronic tag 30 , and the sheath member 40 may be continuously formed except for a portion in the circumferential direction, or may be intermittently formed throughout the circumferential direction.

[0067] In addition, the spacer 20 is cylindrical in the above embodiment, but Figure 6As shown, it may be cylindrical and have a notch 20x extending from one axial end to the other axial end. According to such a configuration, the notch 20x can be fitted into the groove G of the shaft body 10 while being expanded, and thus the manufacturability is excellent.

[0068] In addition, the sheath member 40 is formed by ultrasonically welding the split member 41 in the above-mentioned embodiment, but Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, it may be cylindrical and, like the spacer 20 , pass through the fastener-side member 11 or the tenon-side member 12 of the shaft body 10 while expanding, thereby being pressed into the groove G of the shaft body 10 .

[0069] Furthermore, the insulating sheet 35 constituting the electronic tag 30 may also be Figure 7 As shown, the cross section perpendicular to the axial direction is C-shaped, and the IC chip 31 is arranged in the notch portion 35x.

[0070] Furthermore, if Figure 8 As shown, a part of the spacer 20 may also be used as a part of the sheath member 40. Specifically, the spacer 20 is configured as follows: having a double-layered tube structure, the inner tube portion 24 functions as the spacer 20, and the electronic tag 30 is accommodated between the inner tube portion 24 and the outer tube portion 43, so that the outer tube portion 43 functions as the sheath member 40.

[0071] In addition, if Figure 8 As shown, the notch portion 35x formed in the insulating sheet 35 may not be formed over the entire length in the axial direction, but may be formed halfway in the axial direction.

[0072] Furthermore, if Fig. 9 As shown, the sheath member 40 may be mounted on the shaft body 10 or the like by fasteners Z such as screws. Specifically, the shaft body 10 , the spacer 20 , the electronic tag 30 , and the sheath member 40 are respectively overlapped with each other, and have insertion holes (not shown) into which the common fastener Z is inserted.

[0073] Furthermore, the sheath member 40 may also be insert-molded so as to surround the electronic tag 30 .

[0074] Furthermore, the tool of the present invention is not limited to the socket 100 described in the above embodiment, as long as it includes a metal shaft 10 in at least a portion, for example, a ratchet wrench, a clamp, a screwdriver, a spinner handle, an extension rod, pliers, etc.

[0075] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Description of Reference Numerals

[0076] 100 Tools 10 Axis G slot 11 Fastener side member 12 Square tenon side member 13 Chamfer 14 Inward 15 Bottom 20 Spacer 30 Electronic tags 40 Sheath member 41 Split components 411 Circumferential end face 412 concavity 413 convex part.

Claims

1. A tool comprising a metal shaft at least in part, characterized in that: The outer peripheral surface of the shaft body is provided with grooves continuously or intermittently along the circumferential direction. The tool has: a non-metallic spacer disposed in the groove; An electronic tag is mounted on the shaft body via the spacer and is disposed continuously or intermittently along the circumference; as well as The sheath member covers the electronic tag from the outside.

2. The tool according to claim 1, characterized in that The groove is continuously provided over the entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface of the shaft body.

3. The tool according to claim 1, characterized in that The pair of inner surfaces functions as restriction surfaces that restrict the movement of the sheath member in the axial direction, and the pair of inner surfaces are surfaces that sandwich the bottom surface of the groove from both sides in the axial direction.

4. The tool according to claim 1, characterized in that The sheath member is composed of a plurality of divided members divided in the circumferential direction, and the divided members adjacent to each other are connected to each other.

5. The tool according to claim 4, characterized in that The circumferential end surfaces of the mutually adjacent dividing members are opposite to each other, A concave portion is provided on the circumferential end surface of one of the split members, and a convex portion that enters the concave portion is provided on the circumferential end surface of the other split member, and these concave portion and convex portion are connected.

6. The tool according to claim 4, characterized in that The plurality of partition members have the same shape as each other.

7. The tool according to claim 1, characterized in that The spacer is provided with a recessed portion recessed radially inward.

8. The tool according to claim 7, characterized in that A chamfered portion is provided at a location on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft body corresponding to the recessed portion.

9. The tool according to claim 1, characterized in that The electronic tag has: an internal antenna, located radially inward; an external antenna located radially further outward than the internal antenna; An insulating sheet, sandwiched between the internal antenna and the external antenna; as well as The IC chip is arranged on the internal antenna or the external antenna.

10. The tool according to claim 1, characterized in that The spacer is cylindrical and has a notch extending from one axial end to the other axial end.

11. The tool according to claim 1, characterized in that The shaft body, the spacer, the electronic tag, and the sheath member overlap with each other and have insertion holes into which a common fastener is inserted.

12. The tool according to claim 1, characterized in that The spacer and the sheath member are pressed into the groove of the shaft body.

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