Tag and installation method therefor

Abstract

To provide a tag capable of improving reading efficiency, and an installation method therefor.SOLUTION: A tag 1 comprises: a tabular substrate 2; a first antenna 6 disposed at a lower side of the substrate 2 in a vertical direction (y); a second antenna 7 disposed at an upper side of the substrate 2; and an IC chip 5 connected with the first antenna 6 and the second antenna 7. The substrate 2 has a holding structure 8 which is configured to hold a rod-like body defining a horizontal direction (x) of the substrate 2 as an axial direction and disposed in the vicinity of the first antenna 6. The first antenna 6 includes a connection part 6a which is formed in the vicinity of the holding structure 8. An installation method for installing the tag 1 including the substrate 2 and the first antenna 6 in the rod-like body includes: an installation step of installing the tag 1 in the rod-like body by holding the rod-like body in the holding structure 8; and a connection step of disposing the first antenna 6 in a state where the first antenna is proximate to the rod-like body via the connection part 6a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tag that has an antenna and an IC chip and is attached to a rod-shaped object such as a temple of glasses, and to a method for attaching the same, and more particularly to a tag that can improve reading efficiency and a method for attaching the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Various RFID tags have been proposed for use in inventory management of eyeglasses, etc. (See, for example, Patent Document 1.) In Patent Document 1, an RFID tag is attached to the lens of eyeglasses, and one antenna is connected to the metal frame of the eyeglasses, making it possible to read the tag.

[0003] The RFID tag described in Patent Document 1 may not be effective in efficiently receiving radio waves even if the RFID tag is attached to, for example, eyeglasses that do not have a frame around the lenses or eyeglasses whose frames are made of resin. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-148168 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a tag and an installation method thereof that can improve reading efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A tag for achieving the above-mentioned object includes a flat substrate extending in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, a first antenna disposed on the substrate and positioned on the lower side of the substrate in the vertical direction, a second antenna disposed on the substrate and positioned on the upper side of the substrate, and an IC chip disposed on the substrate and connected to the first antenna and the second antenna, wherein the substrate has a holding structure configured to be capable of holding a rod-shaped body whose axial direction is the horizontal direction and is positioned in the vicinity of the first antenna, and the first antenna has a connection portion formed in the vicinity of the holding structure.

[0007] A tag installation method for achieving the above-mentioned object includes a flat substrate extending in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, a first antenna disposed on the substrate and positioned on the lower side of the substrate in the vertical direction, a second antenna disposed on the substrate and positioned on the upper side of the substrate, and an IC chip disposed on the substrate and connected to the first antenna and the second antenna, the substrate having a holding structure configured to be capable of holding a rod-shaped body whose axial direction is the horizontal direction of the substrate and positioned in the vicinity of the first antenna, the first antenna having a connection portion formed in the vicinity of the holding structure, and the tag having the substrate and the first antenna is installed on the rod-shaped body, the installation method comprising the steps of: an installation step in which the tag is installed on the rod-shaped body by the holding structure holding the rod-shaped body; and a connection step in which the first antenna is positioned in a state in which it is adjacent to the rod-shaped body via the connection portion. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, when the rod-shaped body on which the tag is attached is a conductor, the tag reading efficiency can be improved by using the rod-shaped body as an antenna. When the rod-shaped body is a non-conductor, the tag reading efficiency can be prevented from decreasing by receiving radio waves with a second antenna located above and away from the rod-shaped body. Since the influence of the material of the rod-shaped body can be suppressed, it is advantageous for realizing an improvement in the tag reading efficiency. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the front side of a tag. [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view illustrating the tag of FIG. 1 disassembled into a substrate and an inlay. FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the front side of the inlay in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a tag attached to glasses. [Diagram 5] 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an end surface AA of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a tag attached to glasses. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the glasses stored in the case. [Figure 8] The results of the comparative experiments are shown in a table. [Figure 9] 2 is a perspective view illustrating a modified example of the tag of FIG. 1. [Figure 10] 11A and 11B are explanatory diagrams illustrating modified examples of the through-hole portion. [Figure 11] 11A and 11B are explanatory diagrams illustrating modified examples of the through-hole portion. [Figure 12] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a modified example of FIG. 5. [Figure 13] 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a modified example of the tag in FIG. 1; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The tag will be described below based on the embodiment shown in the drawing. In the drawing, the up-down direction of the tag is indicated by arrow y, the left-right direction, which is one of the directions perpendicular to the up-down direction y, is indicated by arrow x, and the thickness direction perpendicular to the up-down direction y and the left-right direction x is indicated by arrow z.

[0011] As illustrated in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the tag 1 includes a flat substrate 2 extending in the up-down direction y and the left-right direction x, and an inlay 3 disposed on the substrate 2. The substrate 2 is formed into a substantially rectangular or square shape in plan view in the thickness direction z. The shape of the substrate 2 is not limited to the above. The shape of the substrate 2 may be formed into a polygonal shape such as a triangle or a pentagon in plan view, or may be formed into a circle. The substrate 2 is made of paper, or resin, or a laminate of paper and resin, or the like.

[0012] The inlay 3 has a resin film 4, and an IC chip 5, a first antenna 6, and a second antenna 7 arranged on this film 4. For the sake of explanation, the ranges of the first antenna 6 and the second antenna 7 are shaded in Figures 1 and 2.

[0013] In this embodiment, the inlay 3 is fixed to the front side of the substrate 2. The inlay 3 may be disposed on the rear side of the substrate 2. The inlay 3 may be configured so that its front and rear sides are covered by the multiple sheets of paper or resin that constitute the substrate 2. In other words, the inlay 3 may be disposed in an intermediate layer of the substrate 2 that is configured of multiple layers of paper or the like. The inlay 3 may be configured so that it is covered with a resin film after being disposed on the front side of the paper substrate 2.

[0014] As illustrated in Figure 3, the inlay 3 has a film 4 made of, for example, a resin, an IC chip 5 fixed to the film 4, a first antenna 6 formed on the film 4 and having one end connected to the IC chip 5 and the other end open, and a second antenna 7 formed on the film 4 and having one end connected to the IC chip 5 and the other end open.

[0015] In this embodiment, the first antenna 6 is disposed below the IC chip 5 in the vertical direction y, and the second antenna 7 is disposed above it. For the sake of explanation, the ranges of the first antenna 6 and the second antenna 7 are each enclosed by dashed lines in Fig. 3. The IC chip 5 in this embodiment is disposed above the center of the film 4 in the vertical direction y.

[0016] In the present invention, the configuration of the inlay 3 is not limited to the above. A well-known inlay that is generally available may be used. The layout of the first antenna 6 and the second antenna 7 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 3 and the like. It is sufficient that the configuration is such that most of the first antenna 6 is arranged on the lower side of the IC chip 5 and most of the second antenna 7 is arranged on the upper side. The most part refers to, for example, 70% or more of the area of ​​the first antenna 6 or the second antenna 7 in a plan view. Desirably, the most part refers to a part that is 90% or more of the area. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 3, a part of the second antenna 7 is allowed to be on the lower side of the IC chip 5 in a plan view. Similarly, a part of the first antenna 6 may be arranged in a state where it is on the upper side of the IC chip 5.

[0017] The tag 1 may have a configuration without the film 4. In this case, the IC chip 5, the first antenna 6, and the second antenna 7 may be directly disposed on the substrate 2. In this case, it can be said that the inlay 3 is composed of the IC chip 5, the first antenna 6, and the second antenna 7.

[0018] As illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the base material 2 has a holding structure 8 configured to be capable of holding a rod-shaped body constituted by the temples of glasses or the like. In this embodiment, the holding structure 8 is configured by a pair of through-holes 8a formed at an interval in the left-right direction x of the base material 2. The through-holes 8a are configured to penetrate the base material 2 from the front side to the back side. The through-holes 8a are formed, for example, in a substantially triangular shape in a plan view. For example, the through-holes 8a are formed in a state in which the apexes face each other and the bases are respectively disposed on the outside in the left-right direction x. Furthermore, the through-holes 8a may have a shape that is, strictly speaking, a trapezoidal shape with the apexes of the triangle cut off. In this specification, the through-holes 8a illustrated in FIG. 1 can be said to have a shape that is included in a substantially triangular shape.

[0019] The holding structure 8 may have a configuration capable of holding a rod-shaped body whose axial direction is the left-right direction x and arranged in the vicinity of the first antenna 6. In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1, the first antenna 6 is arranged at a position between the pair of through-holes 8a in the left-right direction x. The first antenna 6 may extend to a range outside the pair of through-holes 8a in the left-right direction x.

[0020] The rod-shaped body held by the holding structure 8 is not limited to the temples of glasses. The rod-shaped body may be, for example, a writing implement such as a pencil or a ballpoint pen, or a cable for transmitting electricity or signals. In addition, the rod-shaped body is not a constituent element of the present invention.

[0021] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the first antenna 6 has a connection portion 6a formed in the vicinity of the holding structure 8. In FIG. 3, for the purpose of explanation, the range of the connection portion 6a is shown surrounded by a dashed line. Here, the vicinity of the holding structure 8 refers to a position where the connection portion 6a can realize an electrical connection such as capacitive coupling with the rod-shaped body held by the holding structure 8. The connection portion 6a may or may not directly contact the rod-shaped body. In this embodiment, the connection portion 6a is formed in a middle portion of the first antenna 6. The middle portion of the first antenna 6 refers to a range that does not include the terminal portion that is the open end of the first antenna 6.

[0022] Next, a method of installing the tag 1 will be described. As illustrated in Fig. 4, the holding structure 8 of the tag 1 holds a rod-shaped body 9a constituting the temple of the eyeglasses 9, and the tag 1 is installed on the rod-shaped body 9a (installation step). In this embodiment, the rod-shaped body 9a penetrates one of the through-holes 8a constituting the holding structure 8 from the back side to the front side, and then the rod-shaped body 9a penetrates the other through-hole 8a from the front side to the back side. This results in a state in which a part of the rod-shaped body 9a is on the front side of the tag 1, and the other part is located on the back side of the tag 1.

[0023] The first antenna 6 is disposed in proximity to the rod-shaped body 9a via the connection portion 6a (connection step). If the rod-shaped body 9a is a conductor, the connection portion 6a and the rod-shaped body 9a are electrically connected to each other in the connection step. The connection step may be performed simultaneously with the installation step.

[0024] As illustrated in Fig. 5, the installation step results in the rod-shaped body 9a being sandwiched in the thickness direction z between the front and back sides of the tag 1. In Fig. 5, both the inner and outer ranges of the pair of penetrating parts 8a in the left-right direction x are curved, and the rod-shaped body 9a is sandwiched between the substrate 2 from both sides in the thickness direction z.

[0025] This configuration makes it possible to prevent the tag 1 from rotating about the central axis in the left-right direction x relative to the rod-shaped body 9a, and to prevent the tag 1 from moving in the up-down direction y. It becomes possible to properly fix the tag 1 to the rod-shaped body 9a. In addition, since the rod-shaped body 9a is pressed against the connection portion 6a of the inlay 3, it is possible to maintain a good electrical connection between the rod-shaped body 9a and the connection portion 6a.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 6, glasses 9 equipped with tag 1 are stored in a box or the like with the temples folded, or are displayed at a store or the like. The manufacturer, brand, etc. of glasses 9 can be written on the back side of tag 1. The front side of this writing is the area where second antenna 7 is located. For the sake of explanation, the area where second antenna 7 is located is shown by a dashed line in Fig. 6.

[0027] When the rod-shaped body 9a is made of a conductor such as a metal temple of glasses, it is electrically connected to the first antenna 6 via the connection part 6a. Since the rod-shaped body 9a functions as an antenna, the efficiency of reading the tag 1 can be improved.

[0028] If the rod-shaped body 9a is made of a non-conductor such as the resin temples of glasses, it will not function as an antenna. However, as shown in Fig. 6, the second antenna 7 is disposed in a position protruding upward from the glasses 9. This allows radio waves from the RFID reader to easily reach the second antenna 7 without being blocked by the glasses 9. This makes it possible to suppress a decrease in the efficiency of reading the tag 1.

[0029] The tag 1 is not configured to be affixed to the lens of the glasses 9 with glue or the like. Therefore, the consumer's vision is not obstructed by the tag 1 when trying on the glasses 9. In addition, the inconvenience of leaving glue or the like on the lens when removing the tag 1 can be avoided. The tag 1 can be easily removed by pulling it out from the temple of the glasses 9. The tag 1 can be reused by attaching it to other glasses 9.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 7, a comparative experiment was conducted in which the tag 1 of the glasses 9 stored in the case 10 was read from the outside of the case 10 by an RFID reader, and the time required for reading was measured. In the comparative experiment, two pairs of glasses 9 were stored in one case 10, and 18 cases 10 were packed per layer in a cardboard box, making a total of six layers. For the sake of explanation, Fig. 7 illustrates 18 cases 10 per layer. A total of 216 pairs of glasses 9 and 216 tags 1 were stored in the cardboard box. The glasses 9 were a mixture of glasses 9 with metal frames and glasses 9 without metal frames.

[0031] As a comparative example, glasses 9 with RFID tags attached to the lenses were used. As shown in FIG. 8, in the comparative example, it was found that it took 100 seconds or 112 seconds to read all 216 RFID tags in total. In the third experiment, 4 RFID tags could not be read after 150 seconds had passed. It is believed that the metal frame blocked the radio waves from the RFID reader, preventing the radio waves from reaching the RFID tags.

[0032] In the embodiment, a total of 216 tags 1 could be read in about 1 to 5 seconds. In the embodiment, the tags 1 are placed with a portion of them protruding upward from the glasses 9. The tags 1 are in the shadow of the glasses 9, which makes it easier to avoid blocking the radio waves from the RFID reader. Therefore, it became possible to read all the tags 1 in a short time. It can be seen that the embodiment can greatly improve the efficiency of reading the tags 1 compared to the comparative example.

[0033] The configuration of the holding structure 8 is not limited to a pair of penetrating parts 8a. As illustrated in Fig. 9, the holding structure 8 may be configured as a tubular body with the axial direction being the left-right direction x. When the holding structure 8 is configured as a tubular body, it is necessary to appropriately set the relationship between the inner diameter of the tubular body and the thickness of the rod-shaped body 9a. It is desirable that the inner diameter of the tubular body is large enough that the rod-shaped body 9a can penetrate through it, and that the tag 1 is unlikely to rotate around the left-right direction x relative to the rod-shaped body 9a.

[0034] In this embodiment, the connection portion 6a is formed at the end portion of the first antenna 6. However, the connection portion 6a may be formed in the middle portion of the first antenna 6.

[0035] The shape of the through-holes 8a constituting the holding structure 8 is not limited to the shape exemplified in FIG. 1 and the like. As exemplified in FIG. 10, the pair of through-holes 8a may be configured as a pair of triangles with the apex on the inside and the base on the outside in the left-right direction x. The pair of through-holes 8a may also be configured as a pair of trapezoids with the upper base on the outside and the lower base on the inside in the left-right direction x. The through-holes 8a may also be configured as a rectangle. The through-holes 8a may also be configured as a pair of cuts (slits). When the through-holes 8a are configured as cuts, the base material 2 is not punched out with a die, but the cuts are only made. As exemplified in FIG. 11, the pair of through-holes 8a may also be configured as a pair of cuts (slits) with the upper ends inclined toward each other. The pair of cuts may also be inclined toward the lower ends inclined toward each other. The inclination of the cuts can be determined appropriately. The pair of through-holes 8a may also be configured as a pair of circles. The pair of through-holes 8a may also be configured as a pair of semicircles. When the through-holes 8a are configured in a semicircular shape, the arc-shaped portions may be on the inside or outside of the pair of through-holes 8a.

[0036] Regardless of the shape of the holding structure 8 as exemplified in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the effect of suppressing the rotation of the tag 1 relative to the rod-shaped body 9a and improving the connection of the connection part 6a can be obtained. When the shape of the through-hole 8a is approximately triangular or trapezoidal, the rod-shaped body 9a is likely to be in a state in which it is closer to the center of the through-hole 8a in the vertical direction y or to one of the upper and lower ends. The rod-shaped body 9a can be connected to the connection part 6a at a substantially fixed position. Even when the tag 1 is installed on rod-shaped bodies 9a of different thicknesses or when the thickness of the rod-shaped body 9a changes midway in the horizontal direction x, the tag 1 can be appropriately installed on the rod-shaped body 9a. In addition, it is preferable that the holding structure 8 is formed below the center of the tag 1 in the vertical direction y. This is because the second antenna 7 can be configured to be located at a position protruding upward from the rod-shaped body 9a. With this configuration, the possibility that the radio waves that should reach the second antenna 7 are blocked by the rod-shaped body 9a can be reduced.

[0037] In the left-right direction x, the length L1 between the pair of through-holes 8a is desirably 50% or more of the length L0 of the base material 2. Here, the length L1 between the pair of through-holes 8a refers to the length between the right end of the through-hole 8a located on the left side of the base material 2 and the left end of the through-hole 8a located on the right side. The length L1 between the pair of through-holes 8a can also be said to be the length of the portion where the distance between the pair of through-holes 8a is closest in the direction parallel to the left-right direction x.

[0038] According to this configuration, when the rod-shaped body 9a is passed through the pair of through-holes 8a, the portion of the base material 2 that is outside the pair of through-holes 8a is shorter than the portion between the pair of through-holes 8a, so that the portion that is outside the base material 2 is more likely to deform in the thickness direction z. As illustrated in FIG. 12, the deformation of the inner portion that is stronger than the portion that is outside the pair of through-holes 8a can be suppressed. It is easier to suppress the inlay 3 from deforming together with the base material 2 and moving in the direction in which the connection portion 6a moves away from the rod-shaped body 9a. The electrical connection between the rod-shaped body 9a and the connection portion 6a can be maintained well by maintaining the portion between the pair of through-holes 8a in a flat state without bending.

[0039] When the connection portion 6a is formed in a portion that is on the outer side of the pair of through-holes 8a in the left-right direction x, the length L1 between the pair of through-holes 8a may be set to be smaller than 50% of the length L0. It is desirable to set the lengths L0 and L1 within a range in which the connection portion 6a is unlikely to deform when the rod-shaped body 9a is disposed.

[0040] In order to suppress deformation of the connection portion 6a, the strength of the base material 2 may be different in the left-right direction x. For example, the base material 2 may be configured so that the strength of the outer portion of the pair of through-holes 8a is smaller than the strength of the inner portion of the pair of through-holes 8a. Specifically, the base material 2 is configured by stacking flat paper or resin, and the number of sheets stacked on the inside and outside of the pair of through-holes 8a is different. Alternatively, the material of the base material 2 may be different on the inside and outside of the pair of through-holes 8a.

[0041] As illustrated in FIG. 13, the holding structure 8 may have a lid portion 8b corresponding to the through-hole 8a in addition to the through-hole 8a. When punching the through-hole 8a from the base material 2, a part of the through-hole 8a is kept connected to the base material 2 to form the lid portion 8b. When the rod-shaped body 9a moves relative to the holding structure 8, it comes into contact with the lid portion 8b and generates resistance. This is advantageous in suppressing changes in the relative position between the rod-shaped body 9a and the connection portion 6a. It is also advantageous in avoiding the problem of the tag 1 coming off the rod-shaped body 9a.

[0042] The connection portion 6a is not limited to a configuration in which it is formed in the middle of the first antenna 6. The connection portion 6a may be formed at the end portion, which is the open end, of the first antenna 6. By positioning the connection portion 6a in the middle of the first antenna 6, the holding structure 8 can be disposed at a position away from the lower end of the substrate 2 in the vertical direction y. Therefore, it is possible to form the holding structure 8 relatively large in the vertical direction y in accordance with the size of the rod-shaped body 9a. It is possible to provide a tag 1 that is applicable to a plurality of rod-shaped bodies 9a with different sizes in the vertical direction y. It is also possible to provide a tag 1 that can achieve good contact with the connection portion 6a for a plurality of rod-shaped bodies 9a with different sizes.

[0043] The number of through-holes 8a formed in the base material 2 is not limited to two. The holding structure 8 may be composed of three or more through-holes 8a. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1 Tag 2 Base material 3 Inlay 4. Film 5. IC chip 6 First Antenna 6a Connection 7 Second Antenna 8 Retention structure 8a Penetration 8b Lid 9 glasses 9a Rod-shaped body 10 Cases x left / right direction y vertical direction z thickness direction L0 Length of the substrate L1 Length between penetrations

Claims

1. A tag comprising: a flat base material extending in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction; a first antenna disposed on the base material and disposed on a lower side of the base material in the vertical direction; a second antenna disposed on the base material and disposed on an upper side of the base material; and an IC chip disposed on the base material and connected to the first antenna and the second antenna, the base material has a holding structure configured to be able to hold a rod-shaped body having an axial direction in the left-right direction and disposed in the vicinity of the first antenna, The tag, wherein the first antenna has a connection portion formed adjacent the retaining structure.

2. The tag according to claim 1 , wherein the holding structure is composed of a pair of through-holes formed at an interval in the left-right direction of the base material.

3. The tag according to claim 2 , wherein the penetration portion is formed in a substantially triangular shape.

4. The connection portion is disposed between the pair of the through portions, The tag according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a length between the pair of through-holes in the left-right direction of the base material is set to 50% or more of a length of the base material.

5. The tag according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the connection portion is formed in a middle portion of the first antenna.

6. A tag comprising: a flat base material extending in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction; a first antenna disposed on the base material and disposed on a lower side of the base material in the vertical direction; a second antenna disposed on the base material and disposed on an upper side of the base material; and an IC chip disposed on the base material and connected to the first antenna and the second antenna; a substrate having a holding structure configured to be able to hold a rod-shaped body having an axial direction in the left-right direction of the substrate and disposed in the vicinity of the first antenna, the first antenna having a connection portion formed in the vicinity of the holding structure, and a tag having the substrate and the first antenna, the tag comprising the substrate and the first antenna, the tag comprising the holding structure being disposed in the vicinity of the rod-shaped body, the tag comprising the substrate and the first antenna, the tag being disposed in the vicinity of the rod-shaped body, the tag comprising the holding structure being configured to be able to hold a rod-shaped body having an axial direction in the left-right direction of the substrate and disposed in the vicinity of the first antenna, the tag having ... capable of holding a rod-shaped body having an axial direction in the left-right direction of the substrate, the tag having the holding structure being capable of holding a rod-shaped body an installation step in which the tag is installed on the rod-shaped body by the holding structure holding the rod-shaped body; and a connecting step in which the first antenna is disposed adjacent to the rod-shaped body via the connecting portion.

7. The holding structure is configured by a pair of through-holes formed at an interval in the left-right direction of the base material, The installation method according to claim 6, wherein the installation step includes a configuration in which the rod-shaped body is inserted from the front side to the back side of the base material for one of the penetration portions, and the rod-shaped body is inserted from the back side to the front side of the base material for the other penetration portion.

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