Packaging materials

Abstract

To provide a packaging material that is less apt to be taken out in an usable state while an IC tag is sealed.SOLUTION: In a packaging material 1 including a first member 16 and a second member 17 and sealing an IC tag 50 capable of noncontact communication, the IC tag has a base material 60 and an antenna circuit 54 formed on the base material, and has a release layer 80 at least partly between a substrate and an antenna circuit. The IC tag is arranged between the first member and the second member and joined to the first member and the second member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging material, and more particularly to a packaging material that can accommodate traceability and authenticity determination. [Background technology]

[0002] It is known that attaching IC tags such as UHF-RFID and NFC to products can enable product traceability, product management such as inventory management, payment management, product authenticity verification, counterfeit prevention, and guidance to consumer services.

[0003] In most cases, IC tags are attached to products that are wrapped in packaging after production by attaching a label-type IC tag to the packaging that encases the product. In this case, it is necessary to set up an IC tag attachment process separate from the production line, etc.

[0004] When attaching an IC tag by sticking it on a label, the label-type IC tag covers part of the printed markings and design of the product description on the packaging, which can prevent the packaging from fully functioning as designed. Furthermore, the attachment process mentioned above incurs costs, so improvements are desired.

[0005] As a related technology, Patent Document 1 describes an IC tag enclosure in which an IC tag is sandwiched between base materials. When this enclosure is used as packaging, the IC tag is already attached to the product after production and packaging, eliminating the need for a process for attaching the tag. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-157569 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in the enclosure described in Patent Document 1, the IC tag can be easily removed and collected, and there is a possibility that the removed IC tag may be used to manufacture counterfeit goods.

[0008] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a packaging material in which an IC tag is enclosed and which is difficult to remove while remaining usable. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A first aspect of the present invention is a packaging material including a first member and a second member, and in which an IC tag capable of contactless communication is enclosed. The IC tag has a substrate and an antenna circuit formed on the substrate, and has a release layer at least partially between the substrate and the antenna circuit. The IC tag is disposed between the first member and the second member and joined to the first member and the second member.

[0010] A second aspect of the present invention is a packaging material in which an IC tag capable of contactless communication is arranged in a state where the IC tag is at least partially enclosed. An IC tag has a substrate, an IC chip placed on the substrate, an antenna for contactless communication connected to the IC chip, and a detection circuit provided on the substrate separately from the antenna and connected to the IC chip. The packaging material is A paper main material that forms the outer surface, and a paper auxiliary member that forms part of the inner surface; The opening line that will be cut when opening and The detection circuit is disposed across the intended opening line. A part of the IC tag is joined to the main material and the auxiliary member and is enclosed between the main material and the auxiliary member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a packaging material in which an IC tag is enclosed and which is difficult to remove while remaining in a usable state. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a packaging material according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of an IC tag for the packaging material. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the top surface of the packaging material. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a packaging material according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of an IC tag for the packaging material. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a seal of the packaging material. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a packaging material according to a modified example of the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of an IC tag for the packaging material. [Figure 10] 10(a) and 10(b) are schematic cross-sectional views showing examples of attachment modes of auxiliary members. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view of an IC tag according to a modified example of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 is a perspective view of a packaging material 1 according to this embodiment. The packaging material 1 is formed in a box shape having an upper portion 10 on the upper side and a lower portion 20 on the lower side, and can store desired items in the internal space. There is no particular limitation on the material of the packaging material 1, and it can be made of paper, synthetic resin, or the like, either alone or in combination.

[0014] An IC tag capable of contactless communication is disposed inside the packaging material 1. In this embodiment, the IC tag 50 is disposed in a portion of the packaging material 1 that forms the top surface 15 of the upper portion 10, as shown in FIG.

[0015] Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of the IC tag 50, and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the IC tag 50 has an IC chip 51 and a coil antenna 52 connected to the IC chip 51. 3, IC chip 51 and coil antenna 52 are provided on a first surface 60a of a synthetic resin substrate 60. One end of coil antenna 52 is directly connected to IC chip 51, and the other end is connected to IC chip 51 via a jumper wire 53 (see FIG. 2) provided on a second surface 60b of substrate 60 opposite to first surface 60a. Coil antenna 52 and jumper wire 53 constitute an antenna circuit 54.

[0016] In this embodiment, coil antenna 52 and jumper wire 53 are formed on adhesive layers 71 and 72, respectively, located on substrate 60. This is because coil antenna 52 and jumper wire 53 are formed by attaching a metal foil with an adhesive layer to substrate 60 and patterning it by etching or the like. Therefore, if the metal layer before patterning is formed directly on the substrate by vapor deposition or the like, a configuration without an adhesive layer can be used.

[0017] A release layer 80 is disposed between the second surface 60b of the base material 60 and the jumper wire 53. This allows the jumper wire 53 and the adhesive layer 72 thereunder to be easily peeled off from the base material 60 when a peeling force is applied to the jumper wire 53 located on the release layer 80. The release layer 80 can be, for example, a silicone coating or the like.

[0018] 4 is a cross-sectional view of top surface 15. IC tag 50 is disposed between a first member 16 that forms the outside of top surface 15 and a second member 17 that forms the inside of the top surface. A first surface 60a of IC tag 50 is bonded to first member 16 with adhesive 18. A second surface 60b of IC tag 50 is bonded to second member 17 with adhesive 18. With the above-described configuration, the IC tag 50 is disposed inside the packaging material 1 so as not to be exposed on either the outer or inner surface of the packaging material 1.

[0019] The operation of the packaging material 1 according to this embodiment configured as above when in use will be described. The IC chip 51 of the IC tag 50 is placed inside the packaging material 1 with appropriate information recorded on it for authenticity determination and traceability, and then the desired item is placed inside the internal space of the packaging material 1 and sealed, completing the packaged item. In the case of packaged goods, the IC tag is already placed on the packaging material 1, so that the IC tag can be attached without the need for a post-process for attaching the IC tag. Furthermore, the enclosed IC tag 50 does not cover a part of the outer surface of the packaging material 1, and does not impair the design or visual effect of the packaging material.

[0020] From the outside of the packaging material 1, it is almost impossible to recognize that the IC tag 50 is placed thereon, but when a device capable of contactless communication, such as a smartphone or card reader, is brought close to the IC tag 50, communication can take place between the device and the IC tag 50. This enables various actions, such as determining whether the item contained in the packaging material 1 that has communicated is genuine or not, and traceability to identify the manufacturing base of the item.

[0021] Counterfeit products that only imitate the appearance of the packaging material 1 do not have the IC tag 50 and cannot communicate, so it is easy to tell that they are not genuine by bringing a device capable of contactless communication close to them. When a third party who recognizes the presence of an IC tag in a genuine product attempts to remove the IC tag 50 from the packaging material 1 in order to create a counterfeit product, the third party attempts to peel the first member 16 and the second member 17 from the IC tag 50. At this time, the force of peeling the second member 17 is transmitted to the jumper wire 53 via the adhesive 18. Then, the jumper wire 53 and the adhesive layer 72 underneath it are easily peeled off from the base material 60 due to the presence of the release layer 80. When a part of the jumper wire 53 is peeled off, the connection between the IC chip 51 and the coil antenna 52 is severed, and the IC tag 50 is no longer capable of contactless communication, making it impossible to use for counterfeiting.

[0022] As described above, the packaging material 1 of this embodiment is configured to enclose an IC tag 50, allowing for various actions such as authenticity determination and traceability, while at the same time making it extremely difficult to remove the IC tag 50 in a usable state, making it highly resistant to counterfeiting and imitation.

[0023] In the IC tag 50 according to this embodiment, even if the release layer 80 is provided on the first surface 60a side of the substrate 60 on which the IC chip 51 is arranged, substantially the same effect can be achieved. A release layer may be provided on both the first surface and the second surface. The release layer does not need to be provided on the entire surface of either the first surface or the second surface, but only needs to be provided so as to overlap a portion of the antenna circuit in a plan view of the IC tag. Even if only a portion of the antenna circuit is peeled off, the same effect can be achieved if the antenna circuit is disconnected as a result.

[0024] Furthermore, examples of the main materials constituting the packaging material 1, such as the first member 16 and the second member 17, include various types of paper and plastic film, and the materials may differ depending on the part of the packaging material. The shape of the packaging material is not limited to the box shape described above, and may be a bag shape or the like.

[0025] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 10. In the following description, components common to those already described will be assigned the same reference numerals and duplicated description will be omitted.

[0026] 5 shows a packaging material 101 according to this embodiment. The packaging material 101 has an upper portion 10 and a lower portion 20, and is sealed by a seal 102 joined to the upper portion 10 and the lower portion 20. Seal 102 is a main material that forms part of the outer surface of the packaging material, and has a tab 103. Seal 102 has two parallel perforations (intended opening lines) 104 that run along tab 103. When a user pulls tab 103, part of seal 102 tears in a strip along perforations 104, allowing packaging material 101 to be opened.

[0027] The IC tag 150 according to this embodiment is attached to the rear of the sticker 102 and is not visible from the outside. 6 is a plan view of the IC tag 150. The structure of the IC tag 150 is generally the same as that of the IC tag 50 according to the first embodiment, except that the IC tag 150 does not include the release layer 80 and has a detection circuit 151. The detection circuit 151 is a wiring made of a metal layer, and both ends are connected to the IC chip 51. The detection circuit 151 can be formed simultaneously with the coil antenna 52 when patterning the metal foil with an adhesive layer.

[0028] Two parallel perforations (planned cutting lines) 152 that penetrate the base material of the IC tag 150 in the thickness direction are formed. A part of the detection circuit 151 is located between the perforations 152. The distance between the two perforations 152 is approximately the same as the distance between the perforations 104 formed in the sticker 102.

[0029] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the seal 102. In FIG. 7, the right side is the outside of the packaging material 101. The IC tag 150 is bonded to the rear surface of the seal 102, for example, with an adhesive 18. In a front view of the packaging material 101, the perforation 104 of the seal and the perforation 152 of the IC tag 150 almost or completely overlap. In other words, the IC tag 150 is positioned across the perforation 104, which is the intended opening line. At the rear side of the seal 102, the IC tag 150 is not completely covered, and only the area between the perforations 152 is covered by the auxiliary member 105. The auxiliary member 105 extends behind a tab 103 that is part of the seal 102, and is joined to the tab 103. With this configuration, the IC tag 150 according to this embodiment is enclosed in the packaging material 101 with only the portion between the perforations 152 sandwiched between the main material, the seal 102, and the auxiliary material 105.

[0030] The operation of the packaging material 101 according to this embodiment when in use will be described. As in the first embodiment, contactless communication with the IC tag 150 can be performed by bringing the device close to the IC tag 150. The IC tag 150 also uses part of the power generated during contactless communication to pass current through the detection circuit 151 and checks the conduction state of the detection circuit 151.

[0031] When opening the packaging material, the user grasps the knob 103 and pulls it toward themselves. At this time, the auxiliary member 105 joined to the knob 103 is also pulled toward themselves. The part of the sticker 102 that is being torn along the perforation 104 pulls the IC tag 150 towards you. Meanwhile, the auxiliary member 105 pushes the IC tag 150 from the rear side. Due to these forces, the part of the IC tag 150 between the perforations 152 follows the part of the sticker 102 that is being torn in a strip shape along the perforation 152, and is torn off in a strip shape along the perforation 152. As a result, part of the detection circuit 151 is also torn off, causing a disconnection in the detection circuit 151.

[0032] In contactless communication after the detection circuit 151 is disconnected, the IC tag 150 detects that no current flows through the detection circuit 151. In this case, the IC tag 150 transmits a signal indicating that the packaging material 101 has been opened in contactless communication. This signal causes the contactless communication device to display information that the packaging material 101 has already been opened, either directly or via a verification server or the like.

[0033] As described above, in this embodiment, the IC tag is partially destroyed when the packaging material is opened, making it difficult to remove the IC tag in a fully usable state. Furthermore, in addition to authenticity determination and traceability, the user can obtain information on whether the packaging material 101 has already been opened. Furthermore, since auxiliary member 105 is provided to press IC tag 150 during the opening operation, malfunctions such as IC tag 150 not following seal 102 and only seal 102 being cut during the opening operation are suppressed. As a result, it is possible to preferably prevent the occurrence of problems such as the detection circuit not being disconnected or the packaging material 101 not being opened because the IC tag is not cut.

[0034] A modified example of this embodiment is shown in Figure 8. Packaging material 201 of the modified example shown in Figure 8 has two perforations 203 on top surface 202. The two perforations 203 are connected at front surface 204 of packaging material 201. When part of top surface 202 and front surface 204 is cut along perforations 203, region R1 of top surface 202 surrounded by perforations 203 can be moved relative to the remaining part, thereby allowing packaging material 201 to be opened.

[0035] An IC tag 50A having a structure generally similar to that of the first embodiment is attached to the packaging material 201. As shown in Fig. 9, a single perforation 55 is formed in the IC tag 50A so as to penetrate the base material 60. The IC tag 50A is attached to the underside of the top surface 202 so that the perforation 203 formed on the top surface 202 and the perforation 55 on the IC tag 50A completely or almost overlap each other in a plan view of the packaging material 201. In other words, the IC tag 50A is positioned across the perforation 203, which is the intended opening line.

[0036] The packaging material 201 according to the modified example can be opened by pulling up the region R1 while cutting it along the perforation 203. At this time, the IC tag 50A attached to the underside of the top surface 202 is also cut along the perforation 55, which is the planned cutting line. As a result, the antenna circuit 54 stops functioning, and contactless communication becomes impossible. If no communication occurs even when the non-contact communication device is brought close to the packaging, the user can know that there is a high possibility that the packaging is not genuine or has already been opened.

[0037] In this modification, a portion of the IC tag 50A is enclosed between the top surface 202, which is the main material, and the auxiliary member, but the preferred placement position of the auxiliary member varies depending on the manner of opening. As described above, in the manner of opening by lifting up the region R1, it is preferable to place the auxiliary member 205 on the inner surface of the region R1 and to bond at least a portion of the auxiliary member to the region R1, as shown in (a) of Figure 10. In this way, the force F1 generated when lifting up the region R1 presses the IC tag 50A via the auxiliary member 205, thereby preventing the IC tag 50A from failing to follow the region R1.

[0038] On the other hand, by changing the form of the perforations, it is also possible to configure the packaging so that it can be opened by pushing region R1 inward. In this case, as shown in Fig. 10(b), it is preferable to arrange auxiliary member 205 on the inner surface of top surface 202 in a portion outside region R1 to cover a portion of IC tag 50A. In this way, auxiliary member 205 supports IC tag 50A from the inside against force F2 generated when region R1 is pushed in, thereby preventing problems such as the IC tag 50A outside region R1 peeling off from top surface 202 during the pushing operation and not being cut. As another embodiment, it is of course possible to provide auxiliary members 105 both inside and outside the region R1 that sandwiches the perforation 203 so as to cover the entire IC tag 50A. In this case, regardless of the manner in which the packaging material is opened, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of problems associated with the opening operation.

[0039] In the second embodiment and the modified example, the IC tag may be completely enclosed in the packaging material 101, as in the first embodiment. Furthermore, if the IC tag is firmly attached to the seal 102 or the top surface 202, there is no need to provide an auxiliary member. In this case, the IC tag is placed on the inner surface of the packaging material so as to be completely exposed.

[0040] Each embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and configuration changes and combinations within the scope that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention are also included.

[0041] For example, in any of the embodiments, the base material of the IC tag may be weakened by providing slits 61 or the like as shown in Fig. 11. In this way, the base material easily tears when attempting to remove the IC tag from the packaging material, making it extremely difficult to remove the IC tag in a state in which communication is possible. The number and arrangement of the slits 61 can be set as appropriate.

[0042] The IC tag according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described structure, and other known structures can also be used. For example, the following can also be used as the packaging material of the present invention. NFC tags with an insulating layer on the coil antenna and a jumper wire on the insulating layer ·UHF tags, etc., whose antenna circuits do not have jumper wires In some cases, these IC tags do not have metal wiring that forms part of the antenna circuit on the second surface of the substrate. In such cases, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be achieved by providing a release layer on the first surface on which the antenna circuit is formed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1, 101, 201 Packaging material 16 First member 17 Second member 50, 50A, 150 IC tag 52 Coil antenna 53 Jumper Wire 54 Antenna Circuit 60 Base material 60a Front page 60b second side 80 Release layer 102 Seal (main material) 104, 203 Perforation (opening line) 105, 205 Auxiliary parts 55, 152 Perforation (planned cutting line) 202 Top surface (main material)

Claims

1. A packaging material including a first member and a second member and an IC tag capable of contactless communication enclosed therein, The IC tag is a substrate and an antenna circuit formed on the substrate; a release layer at least partially between the substrate and the antenna circuit; The first member and the second member are disposed between the first member and the second member and joined to the first member and the second member. packaging material.

2. The antenna circuit includes: a coil antenna formed on a first surface side of the substrate; a jumper wire formed on the second surface side of the base material, The release layer is provided between the base material and the jumper wire. The packaging material according to claim 1.

3. The first member and the second member include paper or a plastic film. The packaging material according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A packaging material in which an IC tag capable of contactless communication is disposed in a state in which at least a part of the IC tag is enclosed, the IC tag has a substrate, an IC chip disposed on the substrate, an antenna for contactless communication connected to the IC chip, and a detection circuit provided on the substrate separately from the antenna and connected to the IC chip; The packaging material is The main material that makes up the outer surface is paper, A paper auxiliary member that forms part of the inner surface; and an opening line that is cut when the package is opened, The detection circuit is disposed across the intended opening line, a part of the IC tag is joined to the main material and the auxiliary member and is enclosed between the main material and the auxiliary member; packaging material.

5. A planned cutting line is formed on the base material, The planned cutting line is arranged so as to overlap with the planned opening line. The packaging material according to claim 4.

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