RFID labels and RFID label recycling sheets

Abstract

To provide an RFID label which can be recycled after attachment to an object.SOLUTION: An RFID label comprises a rectangular sheet having a plurality of sections partitioned by one or more perforated lines in parallel with the short side of the rectangle, with each of the sections having an adhesive layer, and an RFID tag attached to an end section of the rectangular sheet with the adhesive layer. The adhesive layers of the sections other than the end section of the rectangular sheet are covered with a release paper.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a reusable RFID label and an RFID label recycling sheet for recycling used RFID labels. [Background technology]

[0002] Technologies that affix RFID labels to objects, such as products in warehouses or stores, to manage inventory status and the like are becoming increasingly common. Such inventory management systems associate and record information about the objects with the RFID ID information affixed to the products, and can output the object information by reading the ID information from the RFID label affixed to the objects. Because RFID labels are part of a warehouse's inventory management system, when an object is removed from the warehouse, the affixed RFID label is typically peeled off. Because RFID labels cannot be reused once affixed to an object, they are typically discarded. However, due to cost considerations, it would be preferable for RFID labels to be reusable rather than discarded. To reuse RFID labels, there is a technology that uses a weak adhesive sticker to easily peel them off from the object to which they are affixed (Patent Document 1). However, with this technology, RFID labels sometimes cannot be reattached to objects after being peeled off, or there are limitations on the number of times they can be reattached, making them difficult to reuse. Furthermore, when removing the attached RFID, there is a risk of damaging the RFID label or the surface of the object. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4980591 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] RFID labels that are peeled off from objects are discarded, resulting in a waste of the RFID label's cost. Furthermore, conventional technologies for reusing RFID labels have limitations on the number of times they can be reused, or there is a risk of damaging the RFID label or the object to which it is affixed. Thus, there is a need for a technology that allows RFID labels to be affixed to objects and reused multiple times. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has the following features: That is, an RFID label according to the present invention includes a rectangular sheet that is divided into a plurality of compartments by one or more perforations parallel to the short sides of the rectangle, and an adhesive layer is provided in each of the plurality of compartments, and an RFID tag attached to the compartment at one end of the rectangular sheet by the adhesive layer, and the adhesive layer in the compartments other than the compartment at the one end of the rectangular sheet is covered with release paper.

[0006] In the present invention, the compartment at one end of the rectangular sheet can be configured to have a larger area than the other compartments. In the present invention, the compartment at one end of the rectangular sheet can be configured to have a shape and area capable of holding the entire surface of the RFID tag. In the present invention, the multiple compartments can be configured to have the same shape and area. In the present invention, the rectangular sheet and the adhesive layer can be configured to be transparent. In the present invention, each of the adhesive layers can be provided on the same side of the rectangular sheet. In the present invention, the RFID tag can have an ID printing area and be configured to be affixed with the ID printing area facing the adhesive layer. In the present invention, the adhesive layer of the compartment at one end of the rectangular sheet can be configured to be provided on the surface opposite to the surface on which the adhesive layers of the compartments other than the compartment at one end of the rectangular sheet are provided. In the present invention, the rectangular sheet may be configured to have elasticity such that the rectangular sheet can stand on its own with the RFID tag facing upward and the other end of the rectangular sheet facing downward and the other end being held. In the present invention, the rectangular sheet may be configured to be a resin sheet with a thickness of 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm. In the present invention, the adhesive layer may be configured to have strong adhesiveness.

[0007] The present invention can also be applied to a sheet for recycling RFID labels, which includes a rectangular sheet divided into a plurality of compartments by one or more perforations parallel to the short sides of the rectangle, and each of the plurality of compartments provided with an adhesive layer covered with release paper, and the adhesive layer provided in the compartment at one end of the rectangular sheet has a shape and area that allows the entire surface of an RFID tag to be attached and held in place. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The RFID label of the present invention includes a rectangular sheet divided into multiple compartments by one or more perforations, each compartment having an adhesive layer, and an RFID tag attached to the compartment at one end of the rectangular sheet via the adhesive layer. This allows the compartments attached to the object to be separated from the perforations and left on the object when the RFID label is removed after being attached to the object, thereby enabling the RFID label to be affixed to the object and reused without damaging the RFID label or the object. The RFID label recycling sheet of the present invention includes a rectangular sheet divided into multiple compartments by one or more perforations, each compartment having an adhesive layer covered with release paper, and the adhesive layer at one end of the sheet has a shape and area that allows the entire surface of an RFID tag to be attached and held in place, thereby enabling used RFID labels to be recycled as reusable RFID tags. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of an RFID label 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a front view of an RFID label 100 with an end section separated. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a front view of RFID label 100 with all separable compartments separated. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a front view of an RFID label 100S according to a first modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a front view of an RFID label 100L according to a third modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a front view of an RFID label 100W according to a fourth modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a front view of the RFID label recycling sheet 200. [Figure 8] 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an RFID label 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9]10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an RFID label 100R according to a second modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an RFID label recycling sheet 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 1 is a diagram showing a state in which an RFID label 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is attached to an object. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] (Structure of RFID label 100) The RFID label 100 is an RFID label including a rectangular sheet with an RFID tag attached to one end with an adhesive layer, and compartments separated by perforations and each with an adhesive layer covered with release paper. The RFID tag is attached to an object using the adhesive layer of the compartment at the other end, and the attached compartment is cut away along the perforations and left on the object, allowing the RFID label including the remaining compartments and RFID tag to be reattached. The RFID label recycling sheet 200 is a sheet similar to the RFID label 100, except that no RFID tag is attached to the adhesive layer of the compartment at one end, but that adhesive layer is covered with release paper. The RFID label 100 from which all separable compartments can be separated by cutting is attached to the adhesive layer of the compartment at one end, allowing it to be reused in the same way as the RFID label 100 without separated compartments.

[0011] An RFID label 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention and an RFID label recycling sheet 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Modifications 1 to 4 of the first embodiment will also be described. In all of the drawings below, multiple components whose outlines appear to overlap are represented by a single outline, with multiple reference numbers drawn with leading lines. Components represented by dashed lines are not directly visible due to the presence of other components on the front side. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. To facilitate understanding, the same or similar components in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals whenever possible, and redundant explanations will be omitted where appropriate.

[0012] FIG. 1 shows the structure of an RFID label 100 as viewed from the front side. The RFID label 100 is attached with its front side facing the object. Therefore, when attached to the object, the back side of the RFID label 100 faces the outer surface of the object and is visible. The RFID label 100 includes a rectangular sheet 101 divided into multiple compartments by one or more perforations 102 parallel to the short sides of the rectangle, each of which has an adhesive layer, and an RFID tag 110 attached to a compartment at one end of the rectangular sheet 101 via the adhesive layer. The RFID tag 110 is a tag in which an IC chip / antenna 111, shown by a dashed line in FIG. 1, is encapsulated in paper, resin, or the like, and is configured to provide RFID functions such as ID storage and communication. The sheet 101 is typically rectangular and is configured to maintain the shape of the RFID label 100. The sheet 101 can be any shape other than rectangular as long as it is vertically long. The material is typically a transparent resin with appropriate elasticity, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polypropylene (PP). Here, elasticity refers to the property of the sheet to rebound and return to its original shape when one end of the sheet is held and a bending force is applied by pressing the surface. The strength of elasticity is preferably such that the sheet 101 can stand on its own when the RFID tag 110 is attached to one end of the sheet 101, the other end of the sheet 101 is facing downward, and the other end is held. However, if the sheet is too thick and elastic, it becomes difficult to cut by hand. Therefore, it is preferable to use a sheet with appropriate thickness and elasticity. For sheets made of commonly used resins such as PET or PP, if the longitudinal dimension (long side) is approximately 12 to 20 cm, a thickness of 0.1 to 0.2 mm can achieve both sufficient elasticity for self-standing and ease of cutting. The short side dimension of the sheet 101 can be, for example, approximately 3 cm. The sheet 101 is divided into a plurality of compartments (six in this example) by one or more (five in this example) perforations 102 parallel to the short sides of the rectangular sheet 101.The perforations 102 are linear, intermittently cut structures that allow the upper part to be separated by hand, leaving a portion of the section on the object to be affixed.

[0013] In FIG. 1 , the sheet 101 is divided into six rectangular compartments: compartment 101a, compartment 101b, compartment 101c, compartment 101d, compartment 101e, and compartment 101f. The number of compartments and the area of ​​each compartment (or the length of each compartment in the longitudinal direction of the sheet 101) can be any number and any area as long as the compartments are easy to handle by hand. Compartment 101a is a compartment at one end of one side of the sheet 101, and the RFID tag 110 is attached to this compartment with an adhesive layer. In this embodiment, the shape and dimensions of compartment 101a are a rectangle that is slightly expanded in the vertical and horizontal directions from the planar shape of the RFID tag 110 so that the entire planar shape of the RFID tag 110 can be maintained. In other words, compartment 101a has a shape and area that can maintain the entire planar shape of the RFID tag 110. Thus, it is preferable that the area of ​​section 101a be larger than the areas of sections 101b to 101f so that an adhesive layer of sufficient area can be provided to reliably fix RFID tag 110. However, section 101a can have any shape and area as long as it can sufficiently fix RFID tag 110, and does not have to cover the entire surface of RFID tag 110. Sections 101b to 101f typically have the same shape and area, and when reattaching, they are cut off along perforations 102 in order, starting from section 101f at the other end of section 101a.

[0014] In addition to FIG. 1, please also refer to the longitudinal cross-sectional view of the RFID label 100 shown in FIG. 8. An adhesive layer is provided in each compartment. That is, adhesive layers 103a to 103f are provided on the sheet 101 in each compartment starting from compartment 101a. In this first embodiment, adhesive layers 103a to 103f are all provided on the same side of the sheet 101. The adhesive layers can be formed by adhering a double-sided sheet cut to the desired shape. In this case, a release paper (described later) is also formed at the same time. The adhesive layers can also be formed by applying an adhesive material or adhering an adhesive sheet. The adhesive strength of the adhesive layers 103b to 103f is preferably strong enough to be peeled, rather than weak enough to be removably attached. Such adhesive strength allows the RFID label 100 attached to an object to be reliably separated from the object when the RFID label 100 is cut along the perforations 102, while the separated compartments remain attached to the object. That is, when the RFID label 100 is cut off along the perforations 102, the adhesive layer is prevented from being partially peeled off from the object, and the surface of the object is not damaged. The RFID tag 110 is attached to the section 101a by the adhesive layer 103a. If the adhesive layer 103a is formed using double-sided tape with a release liner, the release liner is peeled off before the RFID tag 110 is attached. In FIG. 1, the adhesive layer 103a has the same shape and dimensions (and area) as the RFID tag 110; however, the adhesive layer 103a may be smaller in size than the RFID tag 110 as long as the adhesive layer 103a can sufficiently hold the RFID tag 110.

[0015] The RFID tag 110 typically has an ID printing area 112 on its surface where an ID is printed so that the ID can be visually confirmed. It is preferable that the RFID tag 110 be attached with the front side where the ID printing area 112 is located on the adhesive layer 103a. In this manner, when the RFID tag 110 is attached to an object and the back side of the RFID label 100 faces the outer surface of the object, the front side where the ID printing area 112 of the RFID tag 110 is located faces the outer surface of the object, making it easy to visually confirm the ID. In FIG. 1 , the back side of the RFID tag 110 is viewed, so the ID printing area 112 is hidden by the body of the RFID tag 110 and is upside down. In FIG. 1 and other figures, "123456" is used as an example of an ID, and the fact that it is upside down is indicated by a mirror image and the fact that it is not directly visible is indicated by shading. In this case, since the ID printing area 112 is visible through the adhesive layer 103a and the sheet 101, it is preferable that the adhesive layer 103a be made of a transparent material.

[0016] Each adhesive layer 103b to 103f is covered with release paper 104b to 104f of the same size. The release paper protects the adhesive layer until the RFID label 100 is attached to an object, and is peeled off when the RFID label 100 is attached to the object, exposing the adhesive layer. The adhesive layers 103b to 103f (and release papers 104b to 104f) are preferably slightly smaller in size than the compartments in which they are provided, but they can also be the same shape and size as the compartments with perforations 102.

[0017] (How to use RFID label 100) Next, how to use the RFID label 100 will be described. FIG. 11 shows the RFID label 100 with none of the sections cut and separated and attached to an object. The RFID label 100 is attached to the object 300 by peeling off the release paper 104f to expose the adhesive layer 103f of the section 101f at the other end of the RFID label 100 from the end where the RFID tag 110 is attached. This links the information on the object 300 with the ID information on the RFID label 100, and when this information is registered in an inventory management system, the object can be managed by reading the RFID label 100. When attaching the RFID label 100 to the object 300, if the object 300 is a metal object such as a metal case, positioning the RFID tag 110 as far away from the object 300 as possible, as shown in FIG. 11, can prevent failure to read the RFID label 100 due to the influence of the metal. When the RFID label 100 is attached to the object 300 using any of the adhesive layers 103b to 103f, one of the sections protrudes like an ear from the RFID tag 110, so by attaching the adhesive layer to an edge or corner of the object, the RFID tag 110 can be positioned away from the object 300. Therefore, by attaching the RFID label 100 in this manner, failure to read the RFID label 100 can be prevented even if the object 300 is made of metal.

[0018] When inventory management is completed after the object 300 is sold or shipped, the RFID label 100 attached to the object 300 is cut along the perforation 102 between the compartment 101f, which is attached to the object 300 with the adhesive layer 103f, and the adjacent compartment 101e. The compartment 101f remains attached to the object 300, while the compartments 101a to 101e, which contain the RFID tag 110 above it, are separated. Figure 2 shows the RFID label 100 with the end compartment 101f separated. At this time, the link between the information on the object 300 and the ID information on the RFID label 100 is released during inventory management. Although the compartment 101f remains attached to the object 300, it is transparent and does not affect the design or printed content of the object 300.

[0019] Next, the RFID label 100 is reattached. The release paper 104e in FIG. 2 is peeled off, and the RFID label 100 is affixed to a new object 300 using the adhesive layer 103e. This associates the information about the new object 300 with the ID information of the RFID label 100. Once this information is registered in an inventory management system, the new object 300 can be managed by reading the RFID label 100. Subsequently, by following the same procedure, the RFID label 100 can be cut from the compartments affixed to the object 300 and reattached to another object the number of adhesive layers (and compartments) required for affixing the RFID label 100 to the object 300, thereby enabling reuse. FIG. 3 shows an RFID label 100 from which all separable compartments have been separated. While the RFID label 100 cannot be reused in this used state, it can be regenerated using an RFID label recycling sheet 200, which will be described later.

[0020] (Variation 1) The RFID label 100 can be implemented in various modifications. As a first modification of the first embodiment, an RFID label 100S will be described, in which the section of the sheet 101 to which the RFID tag 110 is attached has the same area as the other sections. FIG. 4 shows a front view of the RFID label 100S. In the RFID label 100S, the section 101a has the same shape and area as the sections 101b to 101f for attaching the RFID tag 110 to other objects. The RFID tag 110 is attached to the section 101a at its bottom by an adhesive layer 103a provided on the section 101a. The RFID label 100S otherwise has the same structure as the RFID label 100. The first modification has the advantage of simplifying manufacturing. That is, because all the sections have the same shape and area, a tape-like sheet can be used to continuously form sections separated by numerous perforations 102, and an adhesive layer and release paper can be provided on each of the sections to prepare an intermediate product. The tape-like sheet is then separated into an appropriate number of sections (six in the example of Figure 4) to form sheet 101, and the release paper of the section at one end is peeled off and an RFID tag 110 is attached, thereby easily manufacturing RFID label 100S.

[0021] (Variation 2) As a second modification of the first embodiment, an RFID label 100R will be described in which the RFID tag 110 is attached to the sheet 101 on the opposite side. FIG. 9 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the RFID label 100R. In the RFID label 100R, an adhesive layer 103a is provided on the section 101a on the side opposite to the sides on which the adhesive layers 103b to 103f are provided in the other sections 101b to 101f. The RFID tag 110 is attached by the adhesive layer 103a on the back side opposite to the front side on which the ID printing area 112 is provided. Otherwise, the RFID label 100R has the same structure as the RFID label 100. In variant example 2, the ID printing area 112 of the RFID tag 110 is not covered with an adhesive layer or sheet, and when the RFID label 100R is attached to the object 300, the ID printing area 112 of the RFID tag 110 faces the outer surface of the object, which has the advantage of good visibility of the ID printing area 112.

[0022] (Variation 3) As a third variation of the first embodiment, an RFID label 100L in which the length of the sheet 101 is increased will be described. FIG. 5 shows a front view of the RFID label 100L. In the RFID label 100L, the long sides of the sheet 101 are longer than those of the RFID label 100, and in addition to the sections 101a to 101f, the RFID label 100L includes additional sections 101g and 101h. These additional sections are provided with an adhesive layer 103g and a release paper 104g, and an adhesive layer 103h and a release paper 104h, respectively. Because the long sides of the sheet 101 are longer, its elasticity may be slightly increased. Otherwise, the RFID label 100L has the same structure as the RFID label 100. The third variation is suitable for use when the target object 300 is large, and also has the advantage of being reusable many times.

[0023] (Variation 4) As a fourth variation of the first embodiment, an RFID label 100W in which the length of the sheet 101 is increased and the width is widened will be described. FIG. 6 shows a front view of the RFID label 100W. In the RFID label 100L, the long sides of the sheet 101 are longer than those of the RFID label 100, and in addition to the sections 101a to 101f, additional sections 101g, 101h, and 101i are included. These additional sections are provided with an adhesive layer 103g and release paper 104g, an adhesive layer 103h and release paper 104h, and an adhesive layer 103i and release paper 104i, respectively. Because the long sides of the sheet 101 are long, its elasticity may be slightly increased. Furthermore, in the RFID label 100L, the width of the sheet 101 and the width of each section are wider than those of the RFID label 100. The shape of the section 101a is a horizontally long rectangle, and the longitudinal length of the sheet 101 is shorter than that of the RFID label 100. Therefore, it is preferable that the RFID tag 110 attached to the section 101a is also horizontally long, and the antenna is arranged to extend in the horizontal direction. Modification 4 is suitable for use when the object 300 is large and wide, and also has the advantage of being reusable many times. Note that modifications 1 to 4 can be adjusted in terms of the degree of modification as appropriate, or can be combined as appropriate.

[0024] (Structure of RFID label recycling sheet 200) The RFID label 100 shown in FIG. 3 from which all separable compartments have been separated cannot be reused as is. However, a description will be given of an RFID label recycling sheet 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention, which enables the RFID label 100 to be recycled and reused. The RFID label recycling sheet 200 has a structure in which the RFID tag 110 has been removed from the RFID label 100 and the adhesive layer 103a has been covered with release paper. The components of the RFID label recycling sheet 200 correspond to the components of the RFID label 100 when the hundreds digit of the reference numerals is changed from 2 to 1. FIG. 7 shows a front view of the RFID label recycling sheet 200, and FIG. 10 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the RFID label recycling sheet 200. RFID label recycling sheet 200 includes a rectangular sheet 201 divided into a plurality of compartments 201a to 201f by one or more perforations 202 parallel to the short sides of the rectangle, and each of the plurality of compartments is provided with adhesive layers 203a to 203f covered with release papers 204a to 204f, and adhesive layer 203a provided in compartment 201a at one end of rectangular sheet 201 has a shape and area that allows the entire planar shape of an RFID tag to be attached and maintained. Note that RFID label recycling sheet 200 can also be modified in the same manner as the various modifications and combinations of RFID label 100.

[0025] (How to use RFID label recycling sheet 200) First, the release paper 204a of the RFID label recycling sheet 200 is peeled off to expose the adhesive layer 203a. Next, a used RFID label 100 from which all separable sections have been separated and to be recycled is attached to the adhesive layer 203a. At this time, the RFID tag 110 included in the RFID label 100 is positioned within the adhesive layer 203a. It is also preferable to attach the surface side of the RFID tag 110, which has the ID printing area 112, to the adhesive layer 203a. This results in a recycled RFID label that inherits the information and functions of the RFID tag 110 of the used RFID label 100 from which all separable sections have been separated. Note that after all separable sections have been separated from this recycled RFID label, it can be further recycled by attaching it to the RFID label recycling sheet 200. Each time it is recycled, the section 201a of the sheet 201 and the adhesive layer 203a are laminated, which increases the thickness around the RFID tag 110 and the weight, but it can be recycled at least five times. [Industrial Applicability]

[0026] The present invention can be used in various systems that use RFID, such as inventory control systems. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 100: RFID labels 100L: RFID label 100R: RFID label 100S: RFID labels 100W: RFID label 101: Sheet 101a to 101i: Sections 102: Perforation 103a to 103i: adhesive layer 104b to 104i: Release paper 110: RFID tag 111: IC chip antenna 112:ID printing area 200: RFID label recycling sheet 201: Sheet 201a to 201f: Sections 202: Perforation 203a to 203f: adhesive layer 204a to 204f: Release paper 300: Object

Claims

1. A rectangular sheet divided into a plurality of compartments by one or more perforations parallel to a short side of the rectangle, and an adhesive layer provided in each of the plurality of compartments; an RFID tag attached to the compartment at one end of the rectangular sheet by the adhesive layer; An RFID label, wherein the adhesive layer in the sections other than the section at one end of the rectangular sheet is covered with release paper.

2. The RFID label of claim 1 , wherein the compartment at one end of the rectangular sheet has a larger area than the other compartments.

3. The RFID label according to claim 2 , wherein the section at the one end of the rectangular sheet has a shape and area capable of holding the entire surface of the RFID tag.

4. The RFID label of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of compartments are the same shape and area.

5. The RFID label according to claim 1 , wherein the rectangular sheet and the adhesive layer are transparent.

6. The RFID label according to claim 1 , wherein each of the adhesive layers is provided on the same side of the rectangular sheet.

7. The RFID label according to claim 6 , wherein the RFID tag has an ID printing area, and is attached with the ID printing area facing the adhesive layer.

8. 6. The RFID label according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive layer in the compartment at the one end of the rectangular sheet is provided on a surface opposite to a surface on which the adhesive layer is provided in the compartments other than the compartment at the one end of the rectangular sheet.

9. 9. The RFID label according to claim 1, wherein the rectangular sheet has elasticity such that the rectangular sheet can stand on its own with the RFID tag facing upward and the other end of the rectangular sheet facing downward and the other end being held.

10. 10. The RFID label according to claim 9, wherein the rectangular sheet is a resin sheet having a thickness of 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm.

11. The RFID label according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive layer has strong adhesiveness.

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