Inspection system and method for RFID-labeled perfect-bound books, and manufacturing method for RFID-labeled perfect-bound books

Abstract

To provide an RFID-labeled perfect-bound book inspection system capable of inspecting and sorting RFID tags (inlets) attached to books at high speed and with high accuracy.SOLUTION: An inspection system 180 for RFID-labeled perfect-bound books 30 includes a conveyance unit 160 configured to convey the perfect-bound books 30 to which RFID labels 10 are attached, an inspection unit 140 configured to inspect whether there is any abnormality in an RFID label 10 attached to a perfect-bound book 30 conveyed through the conveyance unit 160, and a sorting unit 150 configured to sort out the perfect-bound book 30 to which the RFID label 10, for which the abnormality is detected by the inspection unit 140, is attached.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an inspection system and an inspection method for RFID-labeled perfect-bound books, and a manufacturing method for RFID-labeled perfect-bound books. [Background technology]

[0002] In the past, to obtain accurate information for book management (such as inventory management and sales results), workers had to visually inspect the items or check the barcode information on the binding.

[0003] In order to reduce such workload, Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which an RFID tag is attached to the inside of the cover or the like beforehand during bookbinding. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-326474 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the case of a conventional method in which RFID tags are attached to books, as in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to inspect the tags after binding to ensure that they function properly. In conventional inspections, workers often use a reading device such as a handheld RFID reader to determine the functionality of each tag in a bundled book. In such cases, books are usually stacked and bound together, making it time-consuming to extract defective products.

[0006] One solution to this problem is to conduct the inspection during the bookbinding process before the books are stacked. However, because the books are transported at high speed during the bookbinding process and the time available for inspection is short, it is difficult to determine the functionality of the tags during the bookbinding process.

[0007] The present disclosure aims to provide an inspection system and inspection method for RFID-labeled perfect-bound books, and a manufacturing method for RFID-labeled perfect-bound books, which are capable of inspecting and sorting RFID tags (inlets) affixed to books at high speed and with high accuracy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An inspection system for RFID-labeled perfect-bound books according to one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention comprises a conveying unit that conveys perfect-bound books to which RFID labels are affixed, an inspection unit that inspects the RFID labels affixed to the perfect-bound books being conveyed through the conveying unit for abnormalities, and a sorting unit that sorts perfect-bound books to which RFID labels are affixed that have been detected to have an abnormality by the inspection unit.

[0009] According to this aspect, the inspection unit can reliably inspect the RFID labels of each perfect-bound book, which is transported on the transport unit at the same high speed as in a conventional general bookbinding process, for abnormalities. Furthermore, the sorting unit can reliably sort each perfect-bound book. Therefore, the inspection system of this aspect can inspect and sort the RFID tags (inlets 11) affixed to the perfect-bound books after they have been bound, quickly and accurately.

[0010] In addition, in this embodiment, the sorting unit automatically sorts perfect-bound books into OK and NG products based on the inspection results of the inspection unit, eliminating the need for workers to manually sort the books, thereby reducing the workload.

[0011] In another aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, in an inspection system for an RFID-labeled perfect-bound book, the RFID label may have an inlet disposed therein, a heat-resistant layer on one side of the inlet, and an adhesive layer on the side opposite the heat-resistant layer, and the RFID label may be affixed to the inside of the spine of the perfect-bound book by the adhesive layer.

[0012] According to this embodiment, the RFID label has a heat-resistant layer, which effectively prevents damage to the RFID label caused by heat during the bookbinding process. However, there may be situations where the heat-resistant layer alone cannot prevent the problem, such as when heat is transferred beyond the heat-resistant layer to the inlet side depending on the way an adhesive such as hot melt flows between the bound book and the spine. The inspection system of this embodiment can detect and sort out such damage that cannot be prevented by the RFID label's structural design alone, thereby further improving the reliability of perfect-bound books shipped after manufacturing.

[0013] Furthermore, during the bookbinding process, there are other possible causes of RFID label failure besides the heat of adhesives such as hot melt. For example, if the RFID label is attached beyond the spine, folding the cover could fold the RFID label, potentially damaging the IC chip or antenna. The inspection system of this embodiment can detect and sort out even such physical defects in RFID labels that may occur during the bookbinding process, further improving the reliability of perfect-bound books shipped after manufacture. Similarly, the inspection system of this embodiment can detect manufacturing-related defects related to the IC chip, antenna, and their connections, further improving the reliability of perfect-bound books shipped after manufacture.

[0014] In another aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, in an inspection system for RFID-labeled perfect-bound books, the inspection unit may have an RFID reader / writer, write inspection information to the RFID label, and detect an abnormality in the RFID label if the written inspection information cannot be read.

[0015] According to this aspect, the RFID reader / writer of the inspection unit can simultaneously inspect the writing and reading of the RFID label, so that abnormalities in the RFID label can be detected with higher accuracy.

[0016] In another aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, in an inspection system for RFID-labeled perfect-bound books, the inspection unit may have an RFID reader and detect an abnormality in the RFID label when information written on the RFID label cannot be read.

[0017] According to this aspect, the inspection unit uses the RFID reader to inspect only the reading of information from the RFID label without writing information to the RFID label, thereby improving the inspection speed.

[0018] In another aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, in an inspection system for RFID-labeled perfect-bound books, the inspection unit may have a plurality of RFID reader-writers or RFID readers, and inspect the RFID labels for abnormalities based on the reading results of the plurality of RFID reader-writers or the RFID readers.

[0019] According to this aspect, the number of times that the same RFID label is inspected for writing or reading information can be increased, thereby increasing the reliability of the inspection results and improving the inspection accuracy.

[0020] A method for inspecting RFID-labeled perfect-bound books according to one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention includes a conveying process for conveying perfect-bound books to which RFID labels are affixed, an inspection process for inspecting the RFID labels affixed to the perfect-bound books being conveyed in the conveying process for abnormalities, and a sorting process for sorting perfect-bound books to which RFID labels are affixed that have been detected to have abnormalities in the inspection process.

[0021] According to this aspect, the inspection process can reliably and satisfactorily inspect the RFID labels of each perfect-bound book, which is transported at the same high speed as in a conventional general bookbinding process. Furthermore, the sorting process can reliably and satisfactorily sort each perfect-bound book. Therefore, the inspection method of this aspect enables high-speed and high-accuracy inspection and sorting of the RFID tags (inlets 11) affixed to the perfect-bound books after they have been bound.

[0022] In addition, in this embodiment, the sorting process automatically sorts perfect-bound books into OK and NG products based on the inspection results of the inspection process, eliminating the need for workers to manually sort the books, thereby reducing the workload.

[0023] A method for manufacturing an RFID-labeled perfect-bound book according to one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention includes a cover creation process in which an inlet is placed inside the book, a heat-resistant layer is provided on one side of the inlet, and an RFID label has an adhesive layer on the side opposite the heat-resistant layer, and the adhesive layer is affixed to the inside of the spine to create a cover; an adhesion process in which a collated book is wrapped around the cover created in the cover creation process and the inside of the spine and the surface of the heat-resistant layer are adhered to the spine of the collated book using an adhesive material; a transport process in which the perfect-bound book, with the RFID label affixed to the inside of the spine in the adhesion process, is transported in a transport unit; an inspection process in which the RFID label affixed to the perfect-bound book transported through the transport unit in the transport process is inspected for abnormalities; and a sorting process in which the perfect-bound book to which the RFID label is affixed is detected to have an abnormality in the inspection process.

[0024] According to this aspect, in the cover production process, an RFID label having an integrated structure formed by laminating an inlet, a heat-resistant layer, and an adhesive layer is affixed to the spine. As a result, when installing an RFID tag (inlet) on the cover material of an object to be affixed, the laminated structure of the inlet, heat-resistant layer, and adhesive layer can be easily installed on the cover material by simply placing the RFID label in the desired position and adhering the adhesive layer to the surface of the spine. This eliminates the steps required for conventional RFID tags, such as applying the adhesive layer, positioning the inlet (RFID tag), and laminating the heat-resistant layer, making the attachment process easier.

[0025] Furthermore, during the bonding process, the adhesive layer of the RFID label is bonded to the spine, and the heat-resistant layer on the opposite side is positioned on the innermost side of the spine. Therefore, when bonding the booklet and spine 21 using an adhesive such as hot melt, the heat-resistant layer is interposed between the RFID label inlet and the adhesive, preventing heat from the adhesive from being transferred to the inlet. This effectively prevents damage to the inlet due to the high heat generated during the bonding process. As a result, this embodiment improves the heat resistance of the RFID tag (inlet) while maintaining the efficiency of the bookbinding process.

[0026] In addition, in the inspection process, the presence or absence of abnormalities in the RFID labels of each perfect-bound book can be reliably inspected for flaws in the RFID labels of the perfect-bound books that are transported on the transport unit at the same high speed as in a conventional general bookbinding process. In addition, in the sorting process, the sorting of each perfect-bound book can be reliably performed. Therefore, in this embodiment, the RFID tags (inlets 11) affixed to the perfect-bound books after binding can be inspected and sorted at high speed and with high accuracy.

[0027] Furthermore, the RFID label according to this embodiment has a heat-resistant layer, which effectively prevents damage to the RFID label due to heat during the bookbinding process. However, there may be situations where the heat-resistant layer alone cannot prevent the occurrence of such problems, such as heat being transferred beyond the heat-resistant layer to the inlet side depending on the way in which an adhesive such as hot melt flows between the bound book and the spine. The inspection and sorting processes according to this embodiment can detect and sort out such damage that cannot be prevented by the RFID label's structural design alone, further improving the reliability of the perfect-bound books shipped after manufacture.

[0028] Furthermore, in the bookbinding process, there are other possible causes of RFID label failure besides the heat of adhesives such as hot melt. For example, if the RFID label is attached outside the spine, folding the cover may fold the RFID label, potentially damaging the IC chip or antenna. The inspection and sorting processes of this embodiment can detect and sort out physical defects in RFID labels that may occur during the bookbinding process, further improving the reliability of perfect-bound books shipped after manufacturing.

[0029] In addition, in the sorting process of this embodiment, perfect-bound books are automatically sorted into OK and NG products based on the inspection results of the inspection process, eliminating the need for workers to perform tasks such as manual sorting, thereby reducing the workload. [Effects of the Invention]

[0030] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an inspection system for RFID-labeled perfect-bound books, and a manufacturing method for RFID-labeled perfect-bound books, which can inspect and sort RFID tags (inlets) affixed to books quickly and with high accuracy. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an RFID label according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of an inlet in FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the RFID label shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is attached to a cover material. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the periphery of an RFID label in a perfect-bound book with an RFID label. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a manufacturing system for an RFID-labeled perfect-bound book according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a cover page creating unit in FIG. 5. FIG. [Figure 7]FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an inspection system including an inspection unit, a sorting unit, and a transport unit in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a manufacturing procedure for an RFID-labeled perfect-bound book according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operations of steps S02 and S03 in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a specific procedure for the RFID label inspection process in steps S04 to S06 in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an RFID label according to a modified example. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of an inspection unit according to a modified example. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a modified example of a method for attaching an RFID label. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing frequency characteristics of RFID labels of an example and a comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. To facilitate understanding of the description, the same components in the drawings will be denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0033] In the following description, the X, Y, and Z directions are perpendicular to one another. The X direction is the extension direction of a pair of conductor portions 13B of the antenna portion 13, which will be described later, the arrangement direction of the loop coil 13A and the pair of conductor portions 13B of the antenna portion 13, and the longitudinal direction of the RFID label 10. The Y direction is the lateral direction of the RFID label 10. The Z direction is the stacking direction of the inlet 11, heat-resistant layer 17, and adhesive layer 16 of the RFID label 10. For convenience of description, the positive Z direction may be referred to as the upper side or front side, and the negative Z direction may be referred to as the lower side or back side.

[0034] [Configuration of 30 perfect bound books with RFID labels] The configuration of an RFID-labeled perfect-bound book 30 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0035] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an RFID label 10 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of an inlet 11 in Fig. 1.

[0036] The RFID label 10 is a substantially planar device that is affixed to an object to which it is to be affixed, which in this embodiment is a perfect-bound book 30. A perfect-bound book is a book produced by a binding method in which the spine of a bundle of text (folded sections) is bound with a special bookbinding adhesive and then wrapped in cover paper. Perfect-bound books are rectangular parallelepiped books with a spine and are therefore more durable than books produced by other binding methods, such as saddle-stitched books. Perfect-bound books are widely used for, for example, educational materials, reports, library books, commemorative magazines, trade magazines, catalogs, and other books. Perfect binding is also sometimes called "case binding" because it involves wrapping and binding the book in cover paper.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 1, the RFID label 10 includes an inlet 11 , a heat-resistant layer 17 , and an adhesive layer 16 .

[0038] Inlet 11 is a part that includes elements related to the function of RFID label 10, and has IC chip 12 on which identification information is recorded, and antenna section 13 connected to IC chip 12. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, inlet 11 has antenna section 13 formed by dry-laminating an aluminum sheet on substrate 14 made of synthetic resin such as PET film, and IC chip 12 mounted at a specified position.

[0039] Although not shown in FIG. 1, the IC chip 12 can be adhered to the antenna section 13 and the substrate 14 using, for example, an anisotropic conductive adhesive (ACP) or the like.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 2, the antenna section 13 has a loop coil 13A connected to the IC chip 12, and a pair of conductor sections 13B connected to the loop coil 12A.

[0041] The loop coil 13A is a conductive wiring pattern having a loop shape (annular shape) of one turn or less in plan view as shown in FIG.

[0042] The loop coil 13A is electrically connected to the IC chip 12 and the conductor portion 13B. When the identification information recorded on the IC chip 12 is read using a communication device such as a reader (e.g., a reader / writer 144 shown in FIG. 7 , which will be described later), when the conductor portion 13B receives UHF radio waves, for example, radio waves around 920 MHz, a current flows through the loop coil 13A due to resonance. This generates an electromotive force that operates the IC chip 12. When the IC chip 12 operates, the identification information recorded on the IC chip 12 is encoded by the IC chip 12, and the encoded data is wirelessly transmitted to a communication device such as a reader using radio waves around 920 MHz as a carrier wave. The reader that receives this signal decodes the signal and transfers it to an external device. As described above, the RFID label 10 of this embodiment is a passive radio wave-based wireless tag that does not have a power source (battery) for storing and transmitting identification information. Therefore, compared to active wireless tags that require a battery, the lack of a battery allows for smaller size and lower cost.

[0043] The pair of conductors 13B are dipole antennas configured to exhibit resonance characteristics with respect to the frequency of radio waves for wireless communication (for example, frequencies in the UHF band) between them and the IC chip 12. The conductors 13B have an overall electrical length equivalent to approximately λ / 2 (λ is the communication wavelength).

[0044] The pair of conductors 13B is an example of a structure that achieves impedance conjugate matching with the IC chip 12 for radio waves with a frequency of, for example, around 920 MHz (for example, 860 MHz to 960 MHz, more preferably 915 MHz to 935 MHz). The pair of conductors 13B are conductive wiring patterns that are connected to the loop coil 13A and extend in directions away from each other from the loop coil 13A. The conductive wiring pattern can be formed by existing methods such as pressing or etching copper foil or aluminum foil, plating, silkscreen printing of metal paste, or metal wire, but here it was formed by etching aluminum.

[0045] 2, the pair of conductor portions 13B are formed symmetrically with respect to an imaginary line VL that passes through approximately the center of the IC chip 12. The imaginary line VL is a line that is parallel to the XY plane (the main surface of the substrate 14) and extends in the Y-axis direction. The imaginary line VL also divides the RFID label 10 into approximately two equal regions in the X-axis direction.

[0046] The patterns of the loop coil 13A and the conductor portion 13B of the antenna portion 13 are not limited to the example shown in Fig. 2, and may have any other shapes and dimensions depending on the intended use of the RFID label 10. In addition, although the example shown in Fig. 2 shows an example in which the IC chip 12 is placed at the center of the RFID label 10 in the X direction, the IC chip 12 may be placed at any position in the X direction or Y direction depending on the attachment position of the RFID label 10, so as to improve the accuracy of reading by a communication device such as a reader (for example, a reader / writer 144 shown in Fig. 7, which will be described later).

[0047] The heat-resistant layer 17 is laminated on the main surface (one surface) of the inlet 11 on the positive Z direction side. The heat-resistant layer 17 is a sheet-like member formed so as to cover the entire surfaces of the IC chip 12, the antenna part 13, and the base material 14 of the inlet. The heat-resistant layer 17 is formed in a shape that is the same as or larger than the outer shape of the inlet 11 in a plan view seen from the Z direction.

[0048] An adhesive layer 15 is disposed between the heat-resistant layer 17 and the inlet 11. When laminated, the adhesive layer 15 penetrates into and fills the gap formed by the underside of the heat-resistant layer 17 and the IC chip 12, antenna part 13, or substrate 14 of the inlet 11 below. The adhesive layer 15 is preferably formed from a material, such as an acrylic adhesive, that has higher heat resistance than hot melt, which is an example of the bonding agent 23 (see FIG. 4) that bonds the spine of the collated book 24 described below.

[0049] The heat-resistant layer 17 has properties such as heat resistance, heat insulation, and non-combustibility, and can suppress heat transfer from the Z-direction positive main surface (top surface) of the heat-resistant layer 17 to the Z-direction negative main surface (bottom surface) of the inlet 11. The heat-resistant layer 17 is formed from a structural material that can withstand high temperatures, such as ceramic fiber paper, fiberboard, NA millboard, hemisal, silicone rubber sheet, silicone rubber sponge, hard laminated mica plate, or fiber blanket. The heat-resistant layer 17 is preferably formed from a material that can withstand high temperatures of approximately 150 to 180°C.

[0050] Furthermore, the heat-resistant layer 17 is preferably formed of a material that can reduce the influence on the communication performance of the inlet 11. Furthermore, the heat-resistant layer 17 is preferably formed of a material that can suppress thermal deformation of the base material 14.

[0051] The thickness of the heat-resistant layer 17 in the stacking direction (Z direction) is preferably about 0.5 to 2.0 mm, and more preferably about 0.7 to 1.3 mm.

[0052] The adhesive layer 16 is laminated on the main surface (other surface) of the inlet 11 on the negative Z direction side. The adhesive layer 16 is formed by applying it to the entire lower surface of the base material 14 of the inlet 11 or to at least a part of the lower surface. The adhesive layer 16 is formed of, for example, an acrylic adhesive.

[0053] During manufacturing and prior to use, the RFID label 10 has a sheet-like release material 18 tightly laminated on the entire underside of the adhesive layer 16 to prevent the adhesive layer 16 from adhering to anything other than the object to which it is to be affixed and to maintain the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer 16. The release material 18 is formed to have a shape that is the same as or larger than the outer shape of the adhesive layer 16 in a plan view seen from the Z direction. The release material 18 is formed from, for example, paper or a synthetic resin film.

[0054] When the RFID label 10 is to be used, the release material 18 is peeled off from the RFID label 10, and the RFID label 10 is then attached to an object by the adhesive layer 16 that is exposed.

[0055] 1, for example, a single long strip of release material 122 (see FIG. 6) extending in one direction may be used, on which multiple RFID labels 10 are arranged. This can improve production efficiency and transportation efficiency.

[0056] 2, the outer shape of the inlet 11 (i.e., the RFID label 10) in a plan view is rectangular, and the dimensions (unit: mm) of the long and short sides of this rectangle are shown, but this is not limited to the example in Fig. 2, and any other shape and dimensions may be used depending on the application of the RFID label 10. Similarly, in Fig. 2, the dimensions (unit: mm) of each part of the antenna part 13 of the inlet 11 are shown, but this is not limited to the example in Fig. 2, and other shapes and dimensions may be used.

[0057] As described above, RFID label 10 of this embodiment includes inlet 11 having IC chip 12 on which identification information is recorded and antenna unit 13 connected to IC chip 12, heat-resistant layer 17 laminated on one side of inlet 11, and adhesive layer 16 laminated on the other side of inlet 11. With this configuration, heat-resistant layer 17 can suppress heat transfer from outside inlet 11, thereby preventing heat-related damage to inlet 11. Furthermore, because RFID label 10 is integrally formed with inlet 11, heat-resistant layer 17, and adhesive layer 16 in a laminated structure, when affixing RFID label 10 to an object, it can be easily installed by simply peeling off release material 18, placing the label in the desired position, and adhering adhesive layer 16 to the surface of the object. This eliminates the need for conventional RFID tags, such as applying an adhesive layer, positioning the inlet (RFID tag), and laminating a heat-resistant layer, making the affixing process easier.

[0058] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the RFID label 10 shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 attached to the cover material 20. Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the periphery of the RFID label 10 of an RFID-labeled perfect-bound book 30.

[0059] As shown in Fig. 3, the cover material 20 used in the perfect bound book 30 has a spine 21 arranged in the center, with a front cover and a back cover (hereinafter collectively referred to as "cover 22") arranged on either side of the spine 21. In this embodiment, the RFID label 10 is affixed to the surface of the cover material 20 at the spine 21, which will become the inside of the spine 21 after binding. In this case, the adhesive layer 16 of the RFID label 10 is adhered to the spine 21, and the heat-resistant layer 17 on the opposite side is positioned on the outermost side of the inside of the spine 21 (the positive Z direction side in Fig. 3).

[0060] As shown in Figure 4, after the bookbinding process, a collated book 24 is adhered to the cover material 20 with adhesive 23, and a pair of covers 22 on both sides of the spine 21 are folded toward the collated book 24 to complete a perfect-bound book 30. Hot melt adhesive, for example, is used as the adhesive 23 that bonds the collated book 24 to the spine. In the following description, the adhesive 23 may also be referred to as "hot melt 23." As described above, by arranging the heat-resistant layer 17 on the outermost side of the inner surface of the spine 21, the heat-resistant layer 17 is positioned between the inlet 11 of the RFID label 10 and the hot melt 23 when the perfect-bound book 30 shown in Figure 4 is completed.

[0061] Therefore, in the bookbinding process, when the hot melt 23 is used to bond the collated book 24 to the spine 21 to which the RFID label 10 is affixed, the heat-resistant layer 17 prevents the heat of the hot melt 23 from being transmitted to the inlet 11. In this way, by providing the heat-resistant layer 17 on the surface of the RFID label 10, the RFID-labeled perfect-bound book produced in this embodiment can effectively prevent damage to the inlet 11 due to the high heat during the bookbinding process.

[0062] 2 and 3, the RFID label 10 is formed in a longitudinal shape with its longitudinal direction in the X direction. When affixing the RFID label 10 to the spine 21, it is preferable to arrange the RFID label 10 so that the longitudinal direction of the spine 21 and the longitudinal direction of the RFID label 10 are the same. This makes it easier to arrange the long RFID label 10 so that it fits within the area of ​​the spine 21, thereby preventing the RFID label 10 from protruding beyond the spine 21. This allows RFID labels 10 of the same size to be affixed to spines 21 of various dimensions, improving the versatility of the RFID label 10.

[0063] In the RFID-labeled perfect-bound book 30, the RFID label 10 may be affixed to a location on the cover material 20 other than the spine 21. For example, as shown by the dotted line in Fig. 3, the RFID label 10 may be affixed to the front or back surface of the cover 22. For example, if the RFID label 10 is made of a transparent material, even when it is affixed to the front surface of the cover 22, it will not obscure the text or images printed on the cover 22.

[0064] [RFID-labeled perfect-bound book manufacturing system] A manufacturing system 100 and a manufacturing method for manufacturing a perfect-bound book with an RFID label according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0065] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing system 100 for manufacturing RFID-labeled perfect-bound books 30 according to this embodiment.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 5, the manufacturing system 100 includes an RFID label production unit 110, a cover production unit 120, a binding unit 130, an inspection unit 140, a sorting unit 150, and a conveying unit 160.

[0067] The RFID label production unit 110 produces an RFID label 10, as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, which has an inlet 11 disposed therein, a heat-resistant layer 17 on the surface, and an adhesive layer 16 on the side opposite the heat-resistant layer 17.

[0068] The cover creating unit 120 creates a cover by attaching the adhesive layer 16 of the RFID label 10 created by the RFID label creating unit 110 to the inside of the spine 21 of the cover material 20.

[0069] The binding department 130 wraps the collated book 24 in the cover created by the cover creation department 120, and adheres the inner surface of the spine 21 and the surface of the heat-resistant layer 17 of the RFID label 10 to the spine of the collated book 24 using hot melt 23 to create a perfect-bound book 30 with an RFID label.

[0070] The conveying section 160 conveys the RFID-labeled perfect-bound book 30 produced by the bindery section 130 to the inspection section 140 and the sorting section 150. The conveying section 160 is, for example, a belt conveyor.

[0071] The inspection unit 140 inspects the RFID labels 10 attached to the perfect bound books 30 being transported through the transport unit 160 for abnormalities.

[0072] The sorting unit 150 sorts out the perfect-bound books 30 to which the RFID labels 10 for which the inspection unit 140 has detected an abnormality have been affixed.

[0073] The inspection unit 140, the sorting unit 150, and the conveying unit 160 in the latter stages of the manufacturing system 100 can also be collectively referred to as an "inspection system 180 for RFID-labeled perfect-bound books 30."

[0074] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the cover creation unit 120 in FIG. 5. In the example of FIG. 6, the cover creation unit 120 has a labeler 121. The labeler 121 is a well-known device that automatically attaches labels to various packages, cardboard boxes, and the like. In this embodiment, a long release material 122 extending in one direction is wound in a roll and installed on the labeler 121. The release material 122 in FIG. 6 corresponds to the release material 18 of the RFID label 10 shown in FIG. 1 and the like, and multiple RFID labels 10 are arranged in series along the extending direction of the release material 122. Furthermore, in the example of FIG. 6, the extending direction of the release material 122 and the longitudinal direction of each RFID label 10 arranged thereon are configured to be the same direction.

[0075] In the cover creation unit 120, the cover material 20 is conveyed by an arbitrary conveying device in a predetermined conveying direction A along the longitudinal direction of the spine 21. The conveying direction A of the cover material 20 is the same as the X direction shown in FIG. 3 and other figures. In the cover creation unit 120, a roll-shaped release material 122 is drawn out from the labeler 121, and when the cover material 20 passes a predetermined position in the conveying direction A (in the example of FIG. 6, the position of the middle cover material 20 of the three cover materials 20 shown in the figure along the conveying direction A), the individual RFID labels 10 arranged on the release material 122 are peeled off from the release material 122 and attached one by one to the spine 21 of the cover material 20. After the RFID labels 10 have been peeled off, the release material 122 is rewound into a roll by the labeler 121 and collected.

[0076] Here, as shown in FIG. 6 , in the cover creation process by the cover creation unit 120, it is preferable to transport the cover material 20 along a predetermined transport direction A and affix the RFID label 10 to the spine 21 while moving along this transport direction A. In other words, it is preferable that the movement direction B of the release material 122 and the RFID label 10 immediately before peeling the RFID label 10 from the release material 122 and affixing it to the spine 21 is the same direction as the transport direction A of the cover material 20. This reduces the relative speed between the spine 21 being transported in the transport direction A and the RFID label 10 during the attachment operation, making it easier to determine the attachment position of the RFID label 10 relative to the longitudinal direction of the spine 21 (X direction in FIG. 3 ). Furthermore, in the lateral direction of the spine 21 (Y direction in FIG. 3 ), the position where the RFID label 10 is peeled from the release material 122 can be overlapped directly above the spine 21, making it easier to determine the attachment position of the RFID label 10 relative to the lateral direction of the spine 21. Therefore, by configuring the RFID label 10 to be affixed to the spine 21 while moving it along the conveyance direction A of the cover material 20, the positioning accuracy of the affixing position of the RFID label 10 relative to the spine 21 can be improved.

[0077] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an inspection system 180 including the inspection unit 140, the sorting unit 150, and the transport unit 160 in FIG.

[0078] The conveying unit 160 conveys the RFID-labeled perfect-bound books 30 produced by the bindery unit 130 to the inspection unit 140 and the sorting unit 150. In the example of FIG. 7, a belt conveyor is shown as an example of the conveying unit 160, and the perfect-bound books 30 placed on the endless conveyor belt are conveyed by the rotation of pulleys. Note that the conveying unit 160 may be other types of conveyor, such as a drive roller conveyor or a chain conveyor. Furthermore, devices other than conveyors may be used as long as they can convey the perfect-bound books 30 to the inspection unit 140 and the sorting unit 150.

[0079] The inspection unit 140 has two gates 141 and 142. The gates 141 and 142 are formed to surround the conveying unit 160 and are installed at a position where the perfect-bound book 30 conveyed on the conveying unit 160 passes through them. Furthermore, the gate 141 is installed upstream in the conveying direction of the perfect-bound book 30 by the conveying unit 160, and the gate 142 is installed downstream.

[0080] The upstream gate 141 has a detection unit 143 that detects the passage of the perfect-bound book 30, and the detection unit 143 can detect the perfect-bound book 30 passing through the gate 141. The detection unit 143 can be any detection device, such as an infrared sensor or a camera.

[0081] The downstream gate 142 has an RFID reader / writer 144 that can write and read information to and from the RFID label 10 of the perfect-bound book 30 that passes through the gate 142 .

[0082] The detection unit 143 and the RFID reader / writer 144 are positioned at a position where they can reliably detect the perfect bound book 30 passing through gate 141, or where they can reliably read the RFID label 10 of the perfect bound book 30 passing through gate 142, for example, on the side where the spine 21 of the perfect bound book 30 passing through gates 141 and 142 is located (the front side of the drawing in the example of Figure 7).

[0083] The inspection unit 140 uses the RFID reader / writer 144 to write and read information to the perfect bound book 30 whose passage has been detected by the detection unit 143, and detects any abnormality in the RFID label 10 based on the results.

[0084] The sorting unit 150 sorts out, as "NG books," any perfect-bound books 30 that have been detected to have an abnormality in the built-in RFID label 10 based on the inspection results of the inspection unit 140. In FIG. 7, as an example, the sorting unit 150 has a discharge conveyor 161 that branches off in a different direction from the conveying unit 160, and a pusher 151 that pushes the perfect-bound books 30 being conveyed on the conveying unit 160 from the conveying path of the conveying unit 160 onto the discharge conveyor 161. The discharge conveyor 161 may be, for example, a belt conveyor similar to the conveying unit 160.

[0085] 6, the discharge conveyor 161 is connected to one side of the width of the conveying section 160 so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveying section 160. The pusher 151 is disposed opposite the discharge conveyor 161 on the other side of the width of the conveying section 160, and is installed so as to be movable toward the center of the conveying section 160 along the width of the conveying section 160. When a perfect-bound book 30 determined to be abnormal by the inspection section passes the position of the pusher 151, the pusher 151 is activated to push the spine 21 of the perfect-bound book 30 toward the discharge conveyor 161, thereby moving the perfect-bound book 30 from the conveying section 160 to the discharge conveyor 161.

[0086] The sorting unit 150 may have any configuration other than the combination of the pusher 151 and the discharge conveyor 161 as long as it can sort out defective products into a separate system. For example, it may have a configuration in which an opening / closing hole is provided on the conveying unit 160, and in the case of a defective product, the opening / closing hole is opened to drop the corresponding perfect-bound book 30 from the conveying unit 160 for sorting.

[0087] The operation of each element of the conveying unit 160, the inspection unit 140, and the sorting unit 150 is controlled, for example, by the control unit 170. The control unit 170 causes the conveying unit 160 to convey the perfect bound book 30, causes the inspection unit 140 to inspect the RFID labels 10, and causes the sorting unit 150 to perform a sorting operation based on the inspection results of the inspection unit 140.

[0088] The control unit 170 can be physically configured as a computer system including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory) as main storage devices, a communication module, an auxiliary storage device, etc. The functions of the control unit 170 described with reference to Fig. 7 are realized by loading predetermined computer software into the CPU, RAM, etc., thereby operating various hardware under the control of the CPU and reading and writing data from and to the RAM.

[0089] In a typical conventional bookbinding process, perfect-bound books are often produced at a speed of, for example, 10,000 books per hour, or about 3 books per second. Therefore, it is preferable that the conveying unit 160 of this embodiment also conveys the perfect-bound books 30 produced by the bindery unit 130 at a similar high speed. However, even if an operator were to manually inspect the RFID labels 10 affixed to the perfect-bound books 30 produced in this embodiment using, for example, a handheld RFID reader, it would be difficult to reliably inspect the books while they are being transported by the conveying unit 160. In this case, there is a risk of reducing work efficiency by, for example, slowing down the conveying speed of the conveying unit 160 or performing inspections on the perfect-bound books 30 stored in a warehouse after transport, which would increase the number of steps required.

[0090] In contrast, the inspection system 180 for RFID-labeled perfect-bound books 30 according to this embodiment includes a conveying unit 160 that conveys perfect-bound books 30 to which RFID labels 10 are affixed, an inspection unit 140 that inspects the RFID labels 10 affixed to the perfect-bound books 30 conveyed through the conveying unit 160 for abnormalities, and a sorting unit 150 that sorts perfect-bound books 30 to which RFID labels 10 are affixed that are detected to be abnormal by the inspection unit 140. The detection unit 143 of the inspection unit 140 can detect the passage of multiple items per second, and the RFID reader / writer 144 of the inspection unit 140 can similarly write to and read from multiple RFID tags per second. The sorting unit 150 can also sort OK products from NG products at a similar speed.

[0091] With these configurations, in the inspection system 180 of this embodiment, the inspection unit 140 can sufficiently reliably inspect the RFID labels 10 of each perfect-bound book 30 for abnormalities as the perfect-bound books 30 are transported on the transport unit 160 at the same high speed as in a conventional general bookbinding process as described above. In addition, the sorting unit 150 can sufficiently reliably sort each perfect-bound book 30. Therefore, the inspection system 180 of this embodiment can quickly and accurately inspect and sort the RFID tags (inlets 11) affixed to the perfect-bound books 30 after they have been manufactured in the bindery department 130.

[0092] Furthermore, the sorting unit 150 automatically sorts the perfect-bound books 30 into OK and NG products based on the inspection results of the inspection unit 140, eliminating the need for workers to manually sort the books, thereby reducing the workload. Note that an RFID label inspection process (method for inspecting perfect-bound books with RFID labels) using the inspection system 180, which will be described later with reference to steps S04 to S06 in Fig. 8 and Fig. 10, can also achieve the same effects as the inspection system 180 described above.

[0093] Furthermore, during the bookbinding process, there are other possible causes of RFID label 10 failure besides the heat of the hot melt 23. For example, if the RFID label 10 is attached outside the spine 21, folding the cover 22 may fold the RFID label 10, potentially resulting in physical failure such as damage to the IC chip 12 or antenna 13. The inspection system 180 of this embodiment can detect and sort out physical failures of the RFID label 10 that may occur during the bookbinding process, thereby further improving the reliability of perfect-bound books 30 that are manufactured and shipped. Similarly, the inspection system 180 of this embodiment can detect manufacturing-related defects related to the IC chip 12, antenna 13, and their connections, thereby further improving the reliability of perfect-bound books 30 that are manufactured and shipped.

[0094] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the manufacturing procedure (manufacturing method) of the RFID-labeled perfect-bound book according to this embodiment.

[0095] In step S01, the RFID label production unit 110 produces an RFID label 10 having an inlet 11 disposed inside, a heat-resistant layer 17 on the surface, and an adhesive layer 16 on the side opposite the heat-resistant layer 17 (RFID label production process).

[0096] In step S02, the cover creating unit 120 attaches the adhesive layer 16 of the RFID label 10 created in step S01 to the inside of the spine 21 of the cover material 20 to create a cover (cover creating step).

[0097] In step S03, the binding department 130 wraps the collated book 24 in the cover created in step S02, and adheres the inner surface of the spine 21 and the surface of the heat-resistant layer 17 of the RFID label 10 to the spine of the collated book 24 using hot melt 23 (adhesion process), thereby producing a perfect-bound book 30 with an RFID label.

[0098] 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operations of steps S02 and S03 in FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 9(A), the release material 18 is removed from the RFID label 10, and the adhesive layer 16 is adhered to the inner surface of the spine 21 of the cover material 20. Next, as shown in FIG. 9(B), the spine of the collated book 24 is arranged so that the inner surface of the spine 21 and the heat-resistant layer 17 of the RFID label 10 affixed to the spine 21 face each other. As shown in FIG. 9(C), the spine 21 and RFID label 10 are adhered to the collated book 24 with hot melt 23, and a pair of covers 22 on both sides of the spine 21 of the cover material 20 are folded toward the collated book 24. This completes a perfect bound book 30 with the RFID label 10 embedded inside the spine 21.

[0099] As described above, in this embodiment, in step S01, RFID label 10 is created as an integrated structure by laminating inlet 11, heat-resistant layer 17, and adhesive layer 16, and then this RFID label 10 is affixed to spine 21 in step S02. As a result, when placing an RFID tag (inlet 11) on cover material 20 of an object to be affixed, the layered structure of inlet 11, heat-resistant layer 17, and adhesive layer 16 can be easily placed on cover material 20 by simply peeling release material 18 from RFID label 10, placing it in the desired position, and adhering adhesive layer 16 to the surface of spine 21. This eliminates the steps of applying an adhesive layer, arranging inlet 11 (RFID tag), laminating a heat-resistant layer, and the like, which are required for conventional RFID tags, and makes the affixing process easier.

[0100] Furthermore, in step S03, the adhesive layer 16 of the RFID label 10 is adhered to the spine 21, and the heat-resistant layer 17 on the opposite side is positioned on the innermost surface of the spine 21 (the uppermost surface in FIG. 9). Therefore, when the hot melt 23 is used to adhere the collated book 24 to the spine 21 as shown in FIG. 9(C), the heat-resistant layer 17 is interposed between the inlet 11 of the RFID label 10 and the hot melt 23, and the heat-resistant layer 17 prevents the heat of the hot melt 23 from being transmitted to the inlet 11. This effectively prevents damage to the inlet 11 due to the high heat generated in step S03. As a result, in this embodiment, the heat resistance of the RFID tag (inlet 11) can be improved and the efficiency of the bookbinding process can be maintained.

[0101] Furthermore, by placing the RFID label 10 inside the spine 21 in step S02, the RFID label 10 is built into the book without being exposed on the surface of the book in the perfect bound book 30 after binding in step S03. This prevents the RFID label 10 from coming off the perfect bound book 30 or from breaking down due to the application of external force, for example, when the perfect bound book 30 after binding collides with an external object.

[0102] Returning to FIG. 8, in step S04, the transport unit 160 transports the perfect bound book 30 with the RFID label 10 affixed to the inside of the spine 21 in step S03 to the inspection unit 140 and the sorting unit 150 (transport step).

[0103] In step S05, the inspection unit 140 inspects whether or not there is an abnormality in the RFID label 10 affixed to the perfect bound book 30 conveyed through the conveyance unit 160 in step S04 (inspection step).

[0104] In step S06, the sorting unit 150 sorts out the perfect-bound books 30 to which the RFID labels 10 detected as abnormal in step S06 are attached (sorting step).

[0105] Steps S04 to S06 can also be expressed as RFID label inspection processing (a method for inspecting RFID-labeled perfect-bound books) performed by the inspection system 180. The RFID label inspection processing will be further described with reference to FIG. 10. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a specific procedure for the RFID label inspection processing of steps S04 to S06 in FIG. 8. The series of steps in the RFID label inspection processing shown in FIG. 10 is performed by, for example, the control unit 170 shown in FIG. 7.

[0106] In step S11, the conveying unit 160 conveys the RFID-labeled perfect-bound book 30 (bound book) to the inspection unit 140.

[0107] In step S12, the detection unit 143 of the inspection unit 140 detects the passage of the bound book.

[0108] In step S13, the RFID reader / writer 144 of the inspection unit 140 writes inspection information to the RFID label 10 attached to the bound book (smooth bound book 30) whose passage has been detected.

[0109] In step S14, the RFID reader / writer 144 reads the inspection information from the RFID label 10 that was written in step S13.

[0110] In step S15, the inspection unit 140 transmits the determination result of whether or not there is an abnormality in the RFID label 10 to the sorting unit 150. For example, the RFID reader / writer 144 transmits the read result of the inspection information to the control unit 170. If the inspection information has been read from the RFID label 10, the control unit 170 determines that the RFID label 10 is functioning normally and is an OK product. On the other hand, if the inspection information has not been read from the RFID label 10, the control unit 170 determines that the RFID label 10 is not functioning normally, that some abnormality has occurred, and that the RFID label 10 is an NG product.

[0111] If the judgment result is an NG product (Yes in step S16), the perfect-bound book 30 judged as an NG product by the sorting unit 150 is discharged in step S17. In this case, the pusher 151 of the sorting unit 150 pushes the perfect-bound book 30 out of the conveying unit 160 and moves it so that it flows onto the discharge conveyor 161.

[0112] On the other hand, if the determination result is that the product is OK (No in step S16), the ejection process in step S17 is not performed, and the corresponding perfect bound book 30 is conveyed to the conveying section 160 as an OK product.

[0113] As described above, in the present embodiment, in the inspection process of the RFID label 10, the inspection unit 140 has an RFID reader / writer 144, writes inspection information to the RFID label 10, and if the written inspection information cannot be read, detects an abnormality in the RFID label 10. With this configuration, writing and reading inspections of the RFID label 10 can be performed simultaneously, so that abnormality detection of the RFID label 10 can be performed with higher accuracy.

[0114] 8 and 10, the RFID label inspection process (method for inspecting a perfect-bound book with an RFID label) using the inspection system 180 has been described with reference to steps S04 to S06 and FIG. 10, in which the RFID label 10 attached to the perfect-bound book 30 has an adhesive layer 16, but an RFID label without the adhesive layer 16 may also be used. Also, the above example illustrates the inspection process for a perfect-bound book 30 in which the RFID label 10 is attached to the inside of the spine 21, but it may also be configured to inspect a perfect-bound book 30 in which the RFID label 10 is attached to a location on the cover material 20 other than the spine 21, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 3.

[0115] 8 may be configured not to include an RFID label production step in which an inlet 11 is disposed inside step S01, a heat-resistant layer 17 is provided on the surface, and an RFID label 10 having an adhesive layer 16 on the side opposite to the heat-resistant layer 17 is produced. In this case, the production system 100 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 5 may be configured not to include the RFID label production unit 110. In these configurations, the RFID label 10 can be applied to a product produced, for example, in a location separate from the production system 100 and the inspection system 180.

[0116] [Variations] A modification of the above embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0117] Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an RFID label 10A according to a modified example. As in the RFID label 10A shown in Fig. 110, in addition to the heat-resistant layer 17 on the front side of the RFID label 10A, a heat-resistant layer 17A (second heat-resistant layer) may be provided between the inlet 11 and the adhesive layer 16, that is, a heat-resistant layer 17A may also be provided on the back side of the RFID label 10A.

[0118] In this case, a step of providing heat-resistant layer 17A between inlet 11 and adhesive layer 16 is added to the RFID label production step of step S01 in FIG.

[0119] Like heat-resistant layer 17, heat-resistant layer 17A is made of a structural material that can withstand high temperatures of about 150 to 180°C, such as ceramic fiber paper. Heat-resistant layer 17A is adhered to the lower surface of base material 14 of inlet 11 by adhesive layer 15A. Like adhesive layer 15, adhesive layer 15A is preferably made of a material that has higher heat resistance than hot melt, such as an acrylic adhesive.

[0120] By configuring the inlet 11 to be covered on both the front and back sides with the heat-resistant layers 17, 17A in this manner, it is possible to further prevent the inlet 11 of the RFID label 10 from coming into direct contact with the hot melt during the bookbinding process, thereby further reducing the occurrence of malfunctions of the RFID label 10.

[0121] Fig. 12 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of inspection unit 140 according to a modified example. As indicated by the dotted arrow in Fig. 12, the detection ranges of detection unit 143 of first gate 141 and RFID reader / writer 144 of second gate 142 may be shifted in directions away from each other. This reduces interference between detection unit 143 and RFID reader / writer 144, and prevents false detection by detection unit 143 and failure of writing or reading by RFID reader / writer 144.

[0122] Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 12, a shielding plate 145 may be provided between first gate 141 and second gate 142 to separate the detection ranges of detection unit 143 and RFID reader / writer 144.

[0123] The inspection unit 140 may be configured without the detection unit 143. In this case, the timing at which the perfect-bound book 30 passes through the detection range of the RFID reader / writer 144 may be managed by the control unit 170 based on, for example, the required time from the time when the book enters the conveying unit 160.

[0124] Furthermore, the inspection unit 140 may be configured to have an RFID reader that only reads information, instead of the RFID reader / writer 144 that can both write and read information to the RFID label 10. In this case, the RFID reader reads some information that was originally recorded in the IC chip 12 when the RFID label 10 was manufactured, instead of the inspection information described above, and the inspection unit 140 can determine whether or not there is an abnormality depending on whether or not this information can be read. In this configuration, the inspection unit 140 uses the RFID reader to only inspect the reading of information from the RFID label 10, without writing information to the RFID label 10, thereby improving the inspection speed.

[0125] Furthermore, the inspection unit 140 may be provided with two or more RFID reader / writers 144 or RFID readers. This allows the number of times that the same RFID label 10 is inspected for writing or reading information to be increased, thereby increasing the reliability of the inspection results and improving the inspection accuracy.

[0126] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a modified example of a method for attaching an RFID label. In the above embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 6 and other figures, a configuration has been described in which, when attaching an RFID label 10 to a cover material 20, the conveyance direction A of the cover material 20 and the movement direction B of the RFID label 10 are the same. However, this is not limiting. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, a configuration may be possible in which the movement direction B of the release material 122 and the RFID label 10 immediately before the RFID label 10 is peeled off from the release material 122 and attached to the spine 21 is perpendicular to the conveyance direction A of the cover material 20. In this configuration, the longitudinal direction of each RFID label 10 arranged on the release material 122 is perpendicular to the extension direction (movement direction B) of the release material 122. As a result, the RFID label 10 can be attached so that the longitudinal direction of the RFID label 10 and the spine 21 are the same, as in the example of FIG. 6. [Example]

[0127] Next, examples of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0128] [Example] An RFID label 10 was fabricated with a laminated structure in which heat-resistant layers 17 were sandwiched between the front and back surfaces of an inlet 11 similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2. Ceramic fiber paper (1 mm thick) manufactured by Sakaguchi Electric Heating Co., Ltd. was used for the heat-resistant layer 17. The inlet 11 had an antenna section 13 formed by dry-laminating a 10 μm aluminum sheet onto a 38 μm thick PET film substrate 14, and an IC chip 12 was mounted at a specified position. The antenna pattern of the inlet 11 had the same shape, arrangement, and dimensions as those shown in Figure 2.

[0129] The RFID label 10 thus produced was attached to an object to be affixed, and the communication performance (frequency characteristics) of the RFID label 10 was measured using an RFID tag performance inspection device (Tagformance Pro, manufactured by Voyantic). The measurement frequency band of radio waves for wireless communication during measurement was 700 to 1200 MHz, and the EIRP (Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power) was 3.28 W.

[0130] Furthermore, the manufactured RFID label 10 was left in a dryer at 180 degrees for a predetermined time (1 minute), and thereafter the communication performance of the RFID label 10 was measured. The dryer used was a model WFO-520 manufactured by EYELA.

[0131] [Comparative Example] Except for omitting the heat-resistant layer 17, an RFID label was produced in the same manner as in the example, and the frequency characteristics of the produced RFID label were measured in the same manner as in the example.

[0132] Fig. 14 shows the frequency characteristics of the RFID labels of the example and the comparative example. In Fig. 14, (A) shows the frequency characteristics of the comparative example before heating, (B) shows the frequency characteristics of the comparative example after heating with a dryer, (C) shows the frequency characteristics of the example before heating, and (D) shows the frequency characteristics of the example after heating with a dryer. In each diagram, the horizontal axis represents the frequency of the radio wave for wireless communication, and the vertical axis represents the communicable distance from RFID label 10 to the reader (Tagformance Pro).

[0133] In the comparative example, as shown in Figures 14(A) and (B), the peak value of the communication distance, which occurred around a frequency of 950 MHz before heating, was reduced to less than half after heating, confirming a deterioration in communication performance. On the other hand, in the example, as shown in Figures 14(C) and (D), there was no significant change in the frequency characteristics before and after heating, confirming that communication performance was maintained.

[0134] Furthermore, in the comparative example, it was confirmed that the substrate 14 of the heated sample was deformed into a wavy shape due to the influence of heating. On the other hand, in the example, no deformation of the substrate 14 due to similar heating was confirmed. In the example, it is thought that the heat-resistant layer 17 acts as a support, suppressing the thermal expansion of the PET substrate 14. Since waviness of the substrate 14 causes variations in the frequency characteristics of the RFID label 10, it is thought that using the heat-resistant layer 17, which is less likely to expand due to heat, as a support for the inlet 11 is effective in maintaining communication performance and preventing failures.

[0135] Furthermore, in the comparative example, cracks were confirmed in the ACP (anisotropic conductive adhesive) layer that bonds the IC chip 12 and antenna section 13 of the inlet 11 in the heated sample. It is thought that the high heat causes the PET substrate 14 to stretch, weakening the adhesion of the ACP to the antenna section 13, increasing resistance and possibly reducing communication performance. On the other hand, in the example, no cracks or other damage occurred in the IC chip 12. It can be seen that the effects of high heat can be suppressed by providing the heat-resistant layer 17.

[0136] The experimental results shown in Figure 14 show that covering the surface of the inlet 11 with the heat-resistant layer 17 according to the embodiment is effective in reducing the impact of high heat on the inlet 11 and preventing a decrease in the communication performance of the RFID label 10 and the occurrence of failures.

[0137] The present embodiment has been described above with reference to specific examples. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these specific examples. Design modifications to these specific examples made by a person skilled in the art as appropriate are also included within the scope of the present disclosure as long as they comprise the features of the present disclosure. The elements of the above-described specific examples, as well as their arrangement, conditions, shape, etc., are not limited to those exemplified and can be modified as appropriate. The elements of the above-described specific examples can be combined in various ways as appropriate, as long as no technical contradictions arise. [Explanation of symbols]

[0138] 10 RFID labels 11 Inlet 12 IC chip 13 Antenna section 16 Adhesive layer 17 Heat-resistant layer 17A Heat-resistant layer (second heat-resistant layer) 20 Cover material 21 Spine 23 Hot melt (bonding agent) 24 Collated volumes 30 RFID-labeled perfect-bound books 100 Manufacturing Systems 140 Inspection Department 144 RFID reader / writer 150 Sorting Department 160 Conveyor 180 Inspection System

Claims

1. a conveying unit that conveys the perfect-bound book to which the RFID label is attached; an inspection unit that inspects the RFID label attached to the perfect bound book being transported through the transport unit for abnormalities; a sorting unit that sorts out the perfect-bound book to which the RFID label is attached, for which an abnormality has been detected by the inspection unit; Equipped with The inspection unit a detection unit provided upstream in a conveyance direction of the perfect bound book and configured to detect the passage of the perfect bound book; an RFID reader / writer provided downstream of the detection unit; and The RFID reader / writer writes and reads information to the perfect bound book whose passage is detected by the detection unit, and detects an abnormality in the RFID label based on the results of the write and read information. The detection ranges of the detection unit and the RFID reader / writer are shifted in directions away from each other. Inspection system for perfect bound books with RFID labels.

2. The RFID label has an inlet disposed therein, a heat-resistant layer provided on one side of the inlet, and an adhesive layer on the side opposite the heat-resistant layer, The RFID label is attached to the inner surface of the spine of the perfect bound book by the adhesive layer. The inspection system for an RFID-labeled perfect-bound book according to claim 1 .

3. the inspection unit has the RFID reader / writer, writes inspection information to the RFID label, and detects an abnormality in the RFID label when the written inspection information cannot be read; 3. The inspection system for an RFID-labeled perfect-bound book according to claim 1.

4. The inspection unit has an RFID reader and detects an abnormality in the RFID label when the information written on the RFID label cannot be read.

3. The inspection system for an RFID-labeled perfect-bound book according to claim 1.

5. the inspection unit has a plurality of RFID reader / writers or RFID readers, and inspects the RFID label for abnormalities based on the results of reading from the plurality of RFID reader / writers or the RFID readers; 5. The inspection system for an RFID-labeled perfect-bound book according to claim 3.

6. a conveying step of conveying the perfect-bound book to which the RFID label is attached; an inspection step in which an inspection unit inspects whether or not there is an abnormality in the RFID label affixed to the perfect-bound book conveyed in the conveying step; a sorting step of sorting out the perfect-bound book to which the RFID label is attached, the RFID label having an abnormality detected in the inspection step; Equipped with The inspection unit a detection unit provided upstream in a conveyance direction of the perfect bound book and configured to detect the passage of the perfect bound book; an RFID reader / writer provided downstream of the detection unit; and The inspection step includes: The RFID reader / writer writes and reads information to and from the perfect bound book whose passage is detected by the detection unit, and detects an abnormality in the RFID label based on the results of the write and read information. The detection ranges of the detection unit and the RFID reader / writer are shifted in directions away from each other. A method for inspecting RFID-labeled perfect-bound books.

7. a cover creating step of placing an inlet inside the RFID label, providing a heat-resistant layer on one side of the inlet, and attaching an adhesive layer of an RFID label on the side opposite to the heat-resistant layer to the inside of the spine to create a cover; a bonding step of wrapping the cover created in the cover creating step around a collated book and bonding the inner surface of the spine cover and the surface of the heat-resistant layer to the spine of the collated book using an adhesive; a conveying step of conveying the perfect bound book with the RFID label attached to the inner surface of the spine in the adhering step by a conveying unit; an inspection step in which an inspection unit inspects whether or not there is an abnormality in the RFID label affixed to the perfect-bound book transported through the transport unit in the transport step; a sorting step of sorting out the perfect-bound book to which the RFID label is attached, the RFID label having an abnormality detected in the inspection step; Including, The inspection unit a detection unit provided upstream in a conveyance direction of the perfect bound book and configured to detect the passage of the perfect bound book; an RFID reader / writer provided downstream of the detection unit; and The inspection step includes: The RFID reader / writer writes and reads information to and from the perfect bound book whose passage is detected by the detection unit, and detects an abnormality in the RFID label based on the results of the write and read information. The detection ranges of the detection unit and the RFID reader / writer are shifted in directions away from each other. A method for manufacturing a perfect bound book with an RFID label.

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