Container manufacturing method

Abstract

To enable a container with an RFID inlay to be manufactured by in-mold molding while suppressing the effect on the performance of the RFID inlay.SOLUTION: A container manufacturing method has: an RFID inlay placement process in which an RFID inlay provided with a thermoplastic adhesive is arranged on an inner surface of a molding die with the thermoplastic adhesive exposed; and a molding process in which a heated material is fed into the molding die to form a container with the RFID inlay on an outer surface via the thermoplastic adhesive.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a container. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an in-mold molding technique in which an IC tag entirely covered with resin is inserted into the inner wall of a blow molding machine, and the IC tag is molded integrally with the wall surface of a container. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-73518 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned technology, the entire IC tag, i.e., the RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) inlay, is coated with resin. Therefore, when the container and the coating resin integrated with the container shrink after molding, strain tends to concentrate on the components of the RFID inlay, which have a different thermal expansion coefficient from the resin. As a result, for example, damage or deformation of the metal RFID antenna may occur, which may degrade the performance of the RFID inlay.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of these technical challenges, and aims to enable the manufacture of containers equipped with RFID inlays by in-mold molding while minimizing the impact on the performance of the RFID inlays. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, an RFID inlay provided with a thermoplastic adhesive is attached to the inner surface of a molding die with the thermoplastic adhesive exposed. directlyand a molding step of supplying a heated material to the mold and molding a container having the RFID inlay on its outer surface via the thermoplastic adhesive. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the above-described embodiment, the RFID inlay and the container material are bonded by the thermoplastic adhesive in contact with the heated material. Furthermore, after the container is molded, the surface of the RFID inlay that is not bonded to the container material faces outward. This reduces the concentration of strain on the RFID inlay when the container shrinks. Therefore, a container with an RFID inlay can be manufactured by in-mold molding while minimizing the impact on the performance of the RFID inlay. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external view of a container manufactured using a container manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a part of the cross section taken along line II-II of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the adhesive applying step. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the RFID inlay cutting step. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the RFID inlay placement step. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the first step in the molding process. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the second step in the molding process. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the third step in the molding process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, a container manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention and a container 100 manufactured using the container manufacturing method will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0010] First, the container 100 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0011] Fig. 1 is an external view of a container 100. Fig. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view partially showing the II-II cross section of Fig. 1.

[0012] The container 100 is used, for example, for blood collection and specimen testing. The shape of the container 100 is not limited to the shape shown in Fig. 1, and may be, for example, a test tube shape.

[0013] In this embodiment, the container 100 is made of resin. Examples of materials that can be used for the container 100 include polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyethylene terephthalate.

[0014] 1 and 2, a container 100 is provided with an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) inlay 10. The container 100 can use the RFID inlay 10 to manage the container 100 itself and the contents contained therein.

[0015] The RFID inlay 10 comprises a substrate 11, an RFID antenna 12 provided on the substrate 11, and an IC chip 13 connected to the RFID antenna 12, and information is read from / written to the IC chip 13 through non-contact communication with a reader / writer.

[0016] The RFID inlay 10 is bonded to the material of the container 100 with a thermoplastic adhesive 14 on the outer surface 100a side of the container 100 so that the base material 11 is exposed to the outside. As shown in Fig. 2, the container 100 is formed so that the outer surface 100a and the base material 11 of the RFID inlay 10 are flush with each other.

[0017] The thermoplastic adhesive 14 is preferably a solid that melts when heated and hardens when cooled, and that can chemically or mutually diffusely bond the material of the container 100, the substrate 11, and the metal RFID antenna 12. Specifically, for example, a thermoplastic polyurethane adhesive, a thermoplastic polyester adhesive, or the like can be used.

[0018] In this embodiment, the substrate 11 is a substrate made of paper (hereinafter referred to as a paper substrate). As the paper substrate, high-quality paper, medium-quality paper, coated paper formed using these, or the like can be used.

[0019] In addition to a paper substrate, the substrate 11 may be a single resin film such as polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, polyethylene, or polyethylene naphthalate, or a multilayer film formed by laminating multiple of these resin films.

[0020] When a paper substrate is used as the substrate 11, the adhesive strength between the IC chip 13 and the substrate 11 can be increased when the IC chip 13 is mounted on the RFID antenna 12 formed on the substrate 11 using an anisotropic conductive material.

[0021] The RFID antenna 12 constitutes a dipole antenna.

[0022] In this embodiment, the RFID antenna 12 is designed to have an antenna length and antenna wire width compatible with the UHF band (300 MHz to 3 GHz, particularly 860 MHz to 960 MHz).

[0023] The RFID antenna 12 may be designed to support the HF band (3 MHz to 30 MHz, particularly around 13.56 MHz). When the RFID antenna 12 is designed to support the HF band, antenna patterns may be provided on both sides of the substrate 11.

[0024] The RFID antenna 12 is adhered to the substrate 11 with an adhesive such as an acrylic adhesive, a urethane adhesive, a silicone adhesive, or a rubber adhesive.

[0025] The RFID antenna 12 is made of metal foil. Examples of metals that can be used for the RFID antenna 12 include copper and aluminum. From the viewpoint of reducing manufacturing costs, it is preferable to use aluminum foil.

[0026] From the viewpoint of the overall thickness of the RFID inlay 10, manufacturing costs, etc., the thickness of the metal foil is preferably 3 μm or more and 25 μm or less.

[0027] The RFID antenna 12 may be formed by applying a paste containing metal powder, or by printing a conductive material by inkjet printing.

[0028] The IC chip 13 is a semiconductor package designed to be capable of communicating with a reader / writer. In this embodiment, the IC chip 13 is compatible with the UHF band. The IC chip 13, together with the RFID antenna 12, may be designed to be compatible with the HF band.

[0029] The IC chip 13 is electrically and mechanically connected to the RFID antenna 12 by an anisotropic conductive material such as an anisotropic conductive adhesive or an anisotropic conductive film.

[0030] The anisotropic conductive material is a binder resin that is an adhesive component and contains conductive fillers with a predetermined particle size. The anisotropic conductive material can electrically and mechanically connect the RFID antenna 12 and the IC chip 13 by heat compression bonding, ultraviolet curing, or other processes.

[0031] As described above, the container 100 is used for blood collection and the like, and UHF radio waves are attenuated or become unstable when glass or moisture is present. Therefore, it is preferable to use a moisture-resistant inlay as the RFID inlay 10, which can ensure communication characteristics even when liquid is contained in the container 100. The moisture-resistant inlay may be an existing product available on the market.

[0032] Furthermore, when the container 100 is used for medical purposes such as blood collection, it is preferable to use a sterilization-compatible inlay as the RFID inlay 10. As the sterilization-compatible inlay, an existing product available on the market may be used.

[0033] Next, a container manufacturing method for manufacturing the container 100 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0034] Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining an adhesive placement step. Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining an RFID inlay cutting step. Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining an RFID inlay placement step. Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining a first step in the molding step. Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining a second step in the molding step. Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining a third step in the molding step.

[0035] First, the adhesive application step will be described with reference to FIG.

[0036] The adhesive placement process is a process of laminating a film 14A onto an RFID inlay continuous body 10A, which is made up of a series of multiple RFID inlays 10, while transporting the RFID inlay continuous body 10A and a long film 14A formed from a thermoplastic adhesive 14, as shown in Figure 3.

[0037] In this embodiment, the film 14A is provided on the surface of the RFID inlay 10 on which the IC chip 13 is arranged.

[0038] The film 14A is temporarily attached to the RFID inlay continuous body 10A by applying pressure to the RFID inlay continuous body 10A with a pressure device (not shown) such as a pressure roller while it is laminated on the RFID inlay continuous body 10A. The film 14A may be temporarily attached to the RFID inlay continuous body 10A using an adhesive or a pressure sensitive adhesive, or may be temporarily attached using molding pressure, induction heating by high frequency, etc., other than pressure.

[0039] In this way, in this embodiment, since the film 14A is laminated on the RFID inlay continuous body 10A, the RFID inlay continuous body 10A can be stored in a roll shape before and after the adhesive application process, which increases the degree of freedom in process design and makes it easier to manage the RFID inlay continuous body 10A.

[0040] The adhesive applying step may be a step of applying the liquid thermoplastic adhesive 14 to the RFID inlay continuum 10A.

[0041] Next, the RFID inlay cutting process will be described with reference to FIG.

[0042] The RFID inlay cutting step is a step of cutting out a single RFID inlay 10 from an RFID inlay continuum 10A in which a film 14A is laminated, as shown in FIG.

[0043] The order of the adhesive application step and the RFID inlay cutting step may be reversed. That is, a single RFID inlay 10 may be cut out from the RFID inlay continuum 10A, and then the thermoplastic adhesive 14 may be applied to the single RFID inlay 10.

[0044] Next, the RFID inlay placement process will be described with reference to FIG.

[0045] The RFID inlay placement step is a step of placing the RFID inlay 10 on the inner surface of a mold 20 that will mold the container 100, as shown in FIG.

[0046] In this embodiment, the container 100 is molded by blow molding. Therefore, the mold 20 shown in Figures 5 to 8 is configured to accommodate blow molding. However, the container 100 may also be molded by injection molding.

[0047] In this embodiment, the molding die 20 is a metal mold. However, the molding die 20 does not have to be made of metal as long as it can mold the container 100.

[0048] The mold 20 has a first mold 20a and a second mold 20b. In Fig. 5, the RFID inlay 10 is disposed on the inner surface of the first mold 20a. However, the RFID inlay 10 may be disposed on the inner surface of the second mold 20b.

[0049] One possible method for placing the RFID inlay 10 on the inner surface of the mold 20 is to use a temporary adhesive to adhere it to the inner surface of the mold 20. Alternatively, the mold 20 may be provided with a hole for venting air, and the RFID inlay 10 may be placed on the inner surface of the mold 20 by the vacuum effect.

[0050] 5, the RFID inlay 10 is placed on the inner surface of the mold 20 with the film 14A exposed. That is, the surface of the RFID inlay 10 on which the IC chip 13 is placed faces the internal space of the mold 20, and the flat surface on which no components of the RFID inlay 10 are placed faces the inner surface of the mold 20. This allows the RFID inlay 10 to be stably placed on the inner surface of the mold 20.

[0051] Next, the molding process will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0052] The molding step is a step of molding the container 100 using the molding die 20, and includes a first step shown in FIG. 6, a second step shown in FIG. 7, and a third step shown in FIG.

[0053] In the first step, as shown in FIG. 6, a parison P, which is a heated and melted cylindrical material, is supplied from the head 30 to the molding die 20.

[0054] In the second step, the first mold 20a and the second mold 20b are brought into close contact with each other, and high-pressure air is blown into the parison P from a blow pin 31 inserted into the parison P.

[0055] As a result, the parison P expands due to the internal pressure and is pressed against the inner surface of the mold 20 to be molded into the shape of the container 100.

[0056] At this time, the high-temperature material comes into contact with the RFID inlay 10 placed on the inner surface of the mold 20, melting the film 14A formed of the thermoplastic adhesive 14. This bonds the RFID inlay 10 and the material of the container 100 together.

[0057] Since the components of the RFID inlay 10 and the material of the container 100 are different materials, the RFID inlay 10 is likely to peel off from the container 100 if the RFID inlay 10 is simply molded integrally with the heated material.

[0058] Therefore, in this embodiment, by using a thermoplastic adhesive 14, the adhesive strength between the components of the RFID inlay 10, particularly the RFID antenna 12 made of metal, and the material (resin) of the container 100 can be ensured.

[0059] The thermoplastic adhesive 14 has a melting point lower than that of the material of the container 100 so that it melts due to heat transmitted from the material. For example, if the material of the container 100 is polypropylene, which has a melting point of 160°C to 170°C, the melting point of the thermoplastic adhesive 14 is preferably lower than 160°C. Furthermore, if the material of the container 100 is polyethylene, which has a melting point of 120°C to 140°C, the melting point of the thermoplastic adhesive 14 is preferably lower than 120°C.

[0060] Furthermore, in blow molding, the temperature of the material of the container 100 when it comes into contact with the RFID inlay 10 is lower than the melting point but higher than the softening point. Therefore, when the container 100 is formed by blow molding, it is preferable that the melting point of the thermoplastic adhesive 14 is lower than the softening point of the material of the container 100. This allows the thermoplastic adhesive 14 to melt more reliably.

[0061] Furthermore, since the mold 20 is constantly cooled, when the material of the container 100 comes into contact with the mold 20, the temperature of the material drops rapidly. Therefore, in order to more reliably transfer the heat of the material to the thermoplastic adhesive 14, it is preferable that the substrate 11 of the RFID inlay 10 is a paper substrate having a lower thermal conductivity than resin, etc. This makes it possible to prevent the heat transferred from the material to the thermoplastic adhesive 14 from being further transferred from the substrate 11 to the mold 20. In other words, the substrate 11 can function as a heat insulator, making it easier to melt the thermoplastic adhesive 14.

[0062] Furthermore, when the parison P is pressed against the mold 20 by high-pressure air, the RFID inlay 10 is also pressed against the mold 20 via the parison P. In contrast, in this embodiment, the RFID inlay 10 is placed in the mold 20 so that the surface on which the IC chip 13 is placed is positioned on the internal space side of the mold 20.

[0063] According to this, the IC chip 13 comes into contact only with the heated and softened material (parison P) when the container 100 is formed. Therefore, when the container 100 is formed, it is possible to prevent the IC chip 13 from being damaged due to a strong force being applied thereto.

[0064] When laminating the film 14A on the RFID inlay 10, a position corresponding to the IC chip 13 may be cut out so that the film 14A is not laminated on the IC chip 13. This can further reduce the force applied to the IC chip 13 when the container 100 is formed.

[0065] In the third step, the first die 20a and the second die 20b are separated to remove the container 100 from the molding die 20, and the unnecessary gate portion 100b is cut off, thereby completing the container 100 provided with the RFID inlay 10.

[0066] After molding, the container 100 cools and shrinks. Since the components of the RFID inlay 10 and the material of the container 100 have different thermal expansion coefficients, if the adhesive strength between the material of the container 100 and the components of the RFID inlay 10 is insufficient, distortion that occurs when the container 100 shrinks may cause the components of the RFID inlay 10 to peel off from the material.

[0067] In contrast, in this embodiment, as described above, the thermoplastic adhesive 14 is used to ensure the adhesive strength between the components of the RFID inlay 10, particularly the RFID antenna 12, which is made of metal, and the material of the container 100.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the RFID inlay 10 is disposed on the inner surface of the mold 20. Therefore, even if the RFID inlay 10 is molded integrally with the container 100, the surface of the RFID inlay 10 that is not bonded to the material of the container 100 remains open to the outside. This reduces the concentration of strain on the RFID inlay 10 when the container 100 shrinks. This prevents damage and deformation of the components of the RFID inlay 10.

[0069] Furthermore, by placing the RFID inlay 10 on the inner surface of the mold 20, as described above, the outer surface 100a of the container 100 is flush with the base material 11 of the RFID inlay 10. This prevents the RFID inlay 10 from getting caught and peeling off or being damaged when handling the container 100.

[0070] The effects of the container manufacturing method according to this embodiment will be summarized below.

[0071] The container manufacturing method includes an RFID inlay placement process in which an RFID inlay 10 provided with a thermoplastic adhesive 14 is placed on the inner surface of a molding die 20 with the thermoplastic adhesive 14 exposed, and a molding process in which a heated material is supplied to the molding die 20 and a container 100 having the RFID inlay 10 on its outer surface 100a is molded via the thermoplastic adhesive 14.

[0072] According to this, the thermoplastic adhesive 14 in contact with the heated material bonds the RFID inlay 10 to the material of the container 100. Furthermore, after the container 100 is molded, the surface of the RFID inlay 10 that is not bonded to the material of the container 100 is open to the outside. This reduces the concentration of strain on the RFID inlay 10 when the container 100 shrinks. Therefore, the container 100 equipped with the RFID inlay 10 can be manufactured by in-mold molding while minimizing the impact on the performance of the RFID inlay 10.

[0073] The thermoplastic adhesive 14 is provided on the surface of the RFID inlay 10 on which the IC chip 13 is disposed.

[0074] According to this, the RFID inlay 10 is placed in the mold 20 so that the surface on which the IC chip 13 is placed faces the internal space of the mold 20. Therefore, when the container 100 is molded, the IC chip 13 comes into contact only with the heated and softened material. Therefore, when the container 100 is molded, it is possible to prevent the IC chip 13 from being damaged by a strong force being applied thereto.

[0075] The melting point of the thermoplastic adhesive 14 is lower than the melting point of the material of the container 100 .

[0076] According to this, the thermoplastic adhesive 14 melts when the high-temperature material comes into contact with the RFID inlay 10 placed on the inner surface of the mold 20. This bonds the RFID inlay 10 to the material of the container 100. Therefore, there is no need to provide a separate step of melting the thermoplastic adhesive 14.

[0077] The melting point of the thermoplastic adhesive 14 is lower than the softening point of the material of the container 100 .

[0078] This allows the thermoplastic adhesive 14 to be melted more reliably when the container 100 is formed by blow molding.

[0079] The RFID inlay 10 has a paper substrate 11, an RFID antenna 12 and an IC chip 13 provided on the substrate 11.

[0080] This allows the base material 11 to function as a heat insulating material, making it easier to melt the thermoplastic adhesive 14.

[0081] The RFID antenna 12 is made of metal, and the container 100 is made of resin.

[0082] In this way, even if different materials are used, the use of the thermoplastic adhesive 14 ensures adhesive strength.

[0083] The container manufacturing method includes an adhesive placing step of laminating a film 14A made of a thermoplastic adhesive 14 onto an RFID inlay continuum 10A in which RFID inlays 10 are connected together, prior to the RFID inlay placing step.

[0084] This allows the RFID inlay continuous body 10A to be stored in a roll shape before and after the adhesive application process, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in process design and facilitating management of the RFID inlay continuous body 10A.

[0085] In the molding process, the container 100 can be formed by blow molding.

[0086] According to this, blow molding can be adopted for containers 100 that are suitable for molding by blow molding.

[0087] In the molding process, the container 100 can be molded by injection molding.

[0088] According to this, injection molding can be adopted for the container 100 that is suitable for molding by injection molding.

[0089] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above embodiments merely illustrate some of the application examples of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the specific configurations of the above embodiments.

[0090] For example, in the above embodiment, the container 100 is made of resin. However, the container 100 may be made of glass. When the container 100 is made of glass, the container 100 is molded by blow molding in the molding process.

[0091] In the above embodiment, the thermoplastic adhesive 14 is provided on the surface of the RFID inlay 10 on which the IC chip 13 is disposed. However, the thermoplastic adhesive 14 may be provided on the surface of the RFID inlay 10 opposite to the surface on which the IC chip 13 is disposed. In this case, the RFID inlay 10 is disposed in the molding die 20 in the RFID inlay disposing step so that the surface on which the IC chip 13 is disposed faces the inner surface of the molding die 20. Alternatively, the thermoplastic adhesive 14 may be provided on both surfaces of the RFID inlay 10. In this case, the RFID inlay 10 may be disposed on the inner surface of the molding die 20 so that either surface faces the inner surface of the molding die 20. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 10 RFID inlays 10A RFID inlay continuum 11 Base material 12 RFID antennas 13 IC chip 14 Thermoplastic adhesives 14A film 20 mold 20a Type 1 20b Type 2 30 heads 31 Blowpin 100 containers 100a outer surface 100b Gate section P parison

Claims

1. an RFID inlay placement step of placing an RFID inlay provided with a thermoplastic adhesive directly on an inner surface of the mold with the thermoplastic adhesive exposed; a molding step of supplying the heated material to the mold and molding a container having the RFID inlay on its outer surface via the thermoplastic adhesive; A method for manufacturing a container comprising the steps of:

2. A method for manufacturing a container as described in claim 1, The RFID inlay has an RFID antenna and is placed in the mold so that the RFID antenna faces the container. Container manufacturing method.

3. A method for manufacturing a container as described in claim 2, the RFID antenna is directly adhered to the container by the thermoplastic adhesive; Container manufacturing method.

4. 2. The method for manufacturing a container according to claim 1, The thermoplastic adhesive is provided on a surface of the RFID inlay on which an IC chip is disposed. Container manufacturing method.

5. 5. A method for manufacturing a container according to claim 1, The melting point of the thermoplastic adhesive is lower than the melting point of the material. Container manufacturing method.

6. 5. A method for manufacturing a container according to claim 1, The melting point of the thermoplastic adhesive is lower than the softening point of the material. Container manufacturing method.

7. 5. The method for manufacturing a container according to claim 4, The RFID inlay includes a paper substrate, an RFID antenna provided on the substrate, and the IC chip. Container manufacturing method.

8. 8. The method for manufacturing a container according to claim 7, The RFID antenna is made of metal, and the container is made of resin. Container manufacturing method.

9. 9. A method for manufacturing a container according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising: and an adhesive placing step of laminating a film made of the thermoplastic adhesive onto a continuous RFID inlay formed by connecting the RFID inlays, prior to the RFID inlay placing step. Container manufacturing method.

10. 10. A method for manufacturing a container according to any one of claims 1 to 9, In the molding step, the container is molded by blow molding. Container manufacturing method.

11. 10. A method for manufacturing a container according to any one of claims 1 to 9, In the molding step, the container is molded by injection molding. Container manufacturing method.

12. An RFID inlay placement step in which an RFID inlay provided with a thermoplastic adhesive is placed on the inner surface of a molding die with the thermoplastic adhesive exposed; a molding step of supplying the heated material to the mold and molding a container having the RFID inlay on its outer surface via the thermoplastic adhesive; A method for manufacturing a container, comprising: and an adhesive placing step of laminating a film made of the thermoplastic adhesive onto a continuous RFID inlay formed by connecting the RFID inlays, prior to the RFID inlay placing step. Container manufacturing method.

13. An RFID inlay placement step in which an RFID inlay provided with a thermoplastic adhesive is placed on the inner surface of a molding die with the thermoplastic adhesive exposed; a molding step of supplying the heated material to the mold and molding a container having the RFID inlay on its outer surface via the thermoplastic adhesive; and The RFID inlay has an RFID antenna and is placed in the mold so that the RFID antenna faces the container. Container manufacturing method.

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