Belt and belt status information acquisition system

Abstract

To provide a belt with improved durability of an RFID provided in the belt and improved durability of a sensing function during belt traveling.SOLUTION: In a low edge cogged V-belt 1, a compression layer 11, a core wire layer 12 including a spirally buried core wire 121, a tension layer 13, and an upper canvas 14 are laminated. The low edge cogged V belt comprises a passive type RFID tag 15 having: an IC chip 151 comprising a temperature sensor 151A that is provided on the upper canvas 14 and measures an internal temperature of the low edge cogged V-belt 1, and a memory 151C capable of storing measured temperature data; and an antenna 153. The IC chip 151 is connected to a resonant antenna 152. The antenna 153 has a booster antenna 153A that can send and receive the temperature data to and from an RFID reader / writer 4, and a loop antenna 153B that can be wirelessly connected to the resonant antenna 152 through electromagnetic coupling. The IC chip 151 and the resonant antenna 152 are covered with a protective layer 154.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a belt having a function for detecting the state of the belt, and a system for acquiring information on the state of the belt. [Background technology]

[0002] As disclosed in Patent Document 1, power transmission belts are widely used as power transmission belts for general industrial applications, precision equipment, etc., because they have excellent appearance and are less likely to produce wear debris. Such power transmission belts are wound around pulleys under tension, and transmit power between the pulleys by running the power transmission belt between the pulleys as the pulleys are driven to rotate.

[0003] As described above, when a transmission belt runs between pulleys, it is subjected to various external and internal pressures (external and internal forces), such as the tension applied to the transmission belt itself, the driving force from the rotational drive of the pulleys, and the force that causes the transmission belt to deform into a curved shape as it runs around the outer periphery of the pulleys.If a transmission belt continues to be used under such external and internal pressures, it will deteriorate due to the pressure on the transmission belt, the rise in internal temperature that accompanies the pressure, and even frictional heat, and will need to be replaced.

[0004] In this regard, the external and internal pressures that a transmission belt experiences change as it deteriorates or becomes damaged over time. For example, deterioration or damage to the transmission belt can weaken the tension applied to the transmission belt itself, weaken the driving force it receives from the rotational drive of the pulley, or change the force applied to the transmission belt as it travels around the outer periphery of the pulley. Furthermore, when the external and internal pressures that a transmission belt experiences change, the internal temperature of the transmission belt also changes.

[0005] Therefore, it is conceivable to introduce a system that can determine the timing of belt replacement by detecting and observing the condition of belts such as transmission belts and conveyor belts, including the pressure and temperature on the belts.

[0006] For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a belt equipped with a sensor that detects the belt state and an RFID that transmits the detection results to an external device, and the belt is equipped with a sensor that detects the belt state and a passive RFID tag that has an IC chip and an antenna and transmits belt state information detected by the sensor to an external device.

[0007] The RFID tag can have a variety of structures, but a practical example is the RFID tag shown in Figure 8. Specifically, the antenna is made of a single twisted copper wire, and an aluminum thin film (aluminum electrode) is used for the part where the IC chip is mounted, with this twisted copper wire and the aluminum thin film on which the IC chip is mounted being connected via a connecting conductive wire (solid copper wire). In this antenna structure, each connection point of the connecting conductive wire (red circle in Figure 8) is joined with solder. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-109443 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-118297 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] When a power transmission belt is wound around a pulley and running, it undergoes a series of continuous bending and deforming movements before and after wrapping around the pulley, followed by release. Specifically, when the belt is wound around the pulley and bent (curved), bending stress is generated due to the bending deformation. In this case, the cable bends around the core wire, causing bending stresses such as tensile stress due to expansion deformation on the outer periphery of the cable, and compressive stress due to compression deformation on the inner periphery of the cable, causing distortion. Then, as the cable moves away from the pulley as it travels, the distortion is released. That is, while the belt is running, this distorted state (curved shape) and the relaxed state (flat shape) are repeated.

[0010] The deformation stress caused by this series of movements (bending deformation and release) is also transmitted to the RFID tag embedded in the belt, making the weak parts of the RFID tag more susceptible to damage due to stress and fatigue caused by repeated deformation stress (hereinafter referred to as flexural fatigue). In the structure of the RFID tag described above, the solder joints and the IC chip mounting area are particularly vulnerable to bending fatigue, and these areas are subject to early damage and breakage due to bending fatigue, which can result in insufficient durability of the sensing function when the belt is running.

[0011] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to improve the durability of the RFID tag attached to the belt, thereby improving the durability of the sensing function while the belt is running. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The present invention provides a belt having a laminate including a back layer disposed on a back side and a core layer having a core, a sensor provided on the laminate for detecting the state of the belt; an RFID tag provided on the laminate and having an IC chip capable of storing information about the state of the belt detected by the sensor and an antenna; The IC chip is having a resonant antenna, The antenna is a booster antenna capable of transmitting and receiving information about the state of the belt to and from the outside; a loop antenna that can be wirelessly connected to the resonant antenna by electromagnetic coupling, The IC chip, together with the resonant antenna, is characterized in that it is covered with a protective material made of an elastic material.

[0013] According to the above configuration, the booster antenna of the antenna and the resonant antenna of the IC chip are wirelessly connected by electromagnetic coupling, so that the antenna and the IC chip are not physically connected (no connection via a connecting conductive wire (single copper wire) is required). This eliminates the physical connection (solder joint) between the antenna and IC chip, which is vulnerable to bending fatigue, and improves the durability of the RFID tag attached to the belt. Furthermore, by eliminating the need for a physical connection between the antenna and the IC chip, the antenna and the IC chip can be disposed independently and separately. This allows the placement of the antenna and IC chip to be selected appropriately depending on the usage environment. In addition, since the IC chip and the resonant antenna are covered with a protective material made of an elastic material, the protective material follows the bending deformation of the belt, thereby protecting the IC chip and the resonant antenna.

[0014] In the belt of the present invention, the antenna may be formed of a single conductive wire.

[0015] According to the above configuration, the antenna is formed of a single conductive wire, and therefore the antenna can be arranged in a plane within the belt laminate without being arranged on a substrate (base). Furthermore, since the conductive wire is flexible, it can deform in accordance with the bending deformation of the belt, thereby improving the durability of the antenna.

[0016] In the belt of the present invention, the protection material may cover only the IC chip and the resonant antenna.

[0017] According to the above configuration, it is possible to protect the IC chip and the resonant antenna, which are particularly vulnerable to bending fatigue. Furthermore, by covering only the IC chip and the resonant antenna with a protective material, they can be handled as a single component, which improves the ease of handling during the process of placing the IC chip and the resonant antenna on the belt during belt manufacturing.

[0018] In the belt of the present invention, the protective material may cover the IC chip, the resonance antenna, and the loop antenna.

[0019] According to the above configuration, it is possible to protect the IC chip and the resonant antenna, which are particularly vulnerable to bending fatigue. Furthermore, since the resonant antenna and the loop antenna are integrally covered with the protective material, the relative positional relationship between the resonant antenna and the loop antenna can be fixed in advance, and the electromagnetic coupling can be stabilized. This improves the ease of handling in the process of placing the IC chip and antenna on the belt during belt manufacturing.

[0020] Furthermore, the present invention provides the above-mentioned belt, wherein the antenna and the IC chip are provided on the back layer, the antenna is disposed closer to the rear surface than the IC chip, The IC chip may be disposed between the antenna and the core body.

[0021] According to the above configuration, the antenna is provided on the rear side of the IC chip and the core body, so that the sensitivity of transmission and reception of information relating to the state of the belt to and from the outside can be improved. In addition, when the belt is bent, a stretching stress acts on the area behind the core, and the stress is greater on the back side and smaller on the side closer to the core. In other words, the side closer to the core is less susceptible to bending fatigue. Therefore, the IC chip, which is more fragile than the antenna, is placed closer to the core where it is less susceptible to tensile stress. On the other hand, the antenna, which is more durable than the IC chip, is placed on the back side of the IC chip, prioritizing the sensitivity of transmission and reception with the outside. This will improve both the flex fatigue resistance (durability of the sensing function) and communication performance of the RFID-equipped belt.

[0022] In the belt of the present invention, the loop antenna and the resonance antenna may be positioned so as not to overlap with each other in the thickness direction of the belt.

[0023] According to the above configuration, it is possible to improve the sensitivity of transmission and reception (communication performance) with the outside.

[0024] The present invention also provides a belt status information acquisition system having the above-mentioned belt and a reader that transmits and receives information about the belt status to and from the booster antenna of the RFID.

[0025] According to the above configuration, a system can be constructed in which information regarding the state of a belt can be stably transmitted and received between the belt equipped with an RFID tag having improved durability and the reader. [Effects of the Invention]

[0026] By improving the durability of the RFID tag attached to the belt, the durability of the sensing function while the belt is running can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram of a raw-edge cogged V-belt according to an embodiment of the present invention and a system for acquiring temperature data of the raw-edge cogged V-belt. FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a raw-edge cogged V-belt according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1A is a photograph of a passive RFID tag according to the present embodiment, FIG. 1B is a top view of a passive RFID tag according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 1C is a side view of a passive RFID tag according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4]10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing variations in the separation distance between the loop antenna and the resonant antenna of the antenna, respectively; [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a raw-edge cogged V-belt according to another embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the positional relationship with respect to the antenna when the IC chip and the resonant antenna are covered with a protective layer and treated as one component. [Figure 7] 10 is a graph showing measurement results of received signal strength RSSI values ​​when the separation distance between the loop antenna and the resonant antenna is changed. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a passive RFID tag according to a comparative example (conventional example). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] (Embodiment) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A belt and a belt status information acquisition system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0029] (Raw-edge cog V-belt temperature data acquisition system 100) As shown in FIG. 1, the temperature data acquisition system 100 (corresponding to the belt status information acquisition system) for the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 of this embodiment can measure the internal temperature of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 using the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 (with a built-in passive RFID tag 15) wound between a drive pulley 2 and a driven pulley 3, and an RFID reader / writer 4.

[0030] In this embodiment, a raw edge cogged V-belt 1 will be described as an example of a belt. The raw edge cog V-belt 1 is a type of V-belt, and is used in a power transmission mechanism (system) such as an engine accessory drive system, for example, by being wrapped around a driving pulley 2 and a driven pulley 3 (see FIG. 1). The raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 is endless and has multiple cogs 1A on its inner peripheral surface to facilitate bending. As shown in the widthwise cross-sectional view of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 in Figure 2, the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 has a V-shaped side surface with a predetermined inclination angle, including the cogs 1A.

[0031] In this embodiment, the raw edge cog V-belt 1 is described as an example, but it may also be a raw edge V-belt, a wrapped V-belt, a V-ribbed belt, a flat belt, or a toothed belt.

[0032] (Raw Edge Cogged V-Belt 1 Configuration) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 is a laminate formed by stacking, in order from the inner side to the back side of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1, a compression layer 11, a core layer 12 (corresponding to a core layer) containing a core wire 121 embedded spirally along the circumferential direction of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1, a tension layer 13 (corresponding to one of the back layers), and an upper canvas 14 (corresponding to one of the back layers) made up of four layers of rubber-backed canvas.A passive RFID tag 15 (corresponding to RFID) is embedded in the upper canvas 14 in the center of the width of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1, between the first and second rubber-backed canvas from the inner side, with its long side aligned along the circumferential direction of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 2, the widthwise cross section of the raw edge cog V-belt 1 is V-shaped, and the left and right V-shaped side surfaces of the V-shaped cross section form frictional transmission surfaces that come into contact with the inner wall surfaces of the V-grooves provided in the drive pulley 2 and the driven pulley 3.

[0034] (Compressed layer 11) Examples of rubber components of the rubber composition forming the compression layer 11 include vulcanizable or crosslinkable rubbers, such as diene rubbers (natural rubber, isoprene rubber, butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (nitrile rubber), hydrogenated nitrile rubber, etc.), ethylene-α-olefin elastomers, chlorosulfonated polyethylene rubbers, alkylated chlorosulfonated polyethylene rubbers, epichlorohydrin rubbers, acrylic rubbers, silicone rubbers, urethane rubbers, and fluororubbers. These rubber components may be used alone or in combination. Preferred rubber components are ethylene-α-olefin elastomers (ethylene-α-olefin rubbers such as ethylene-propylene copolymer (EPM) and ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM)) and chloroprene rubber. A particularly preferred rubber component is a halogen-free ethylene-α-olefin elastomer, which has superior durability compared to chloroprene rubber. Examples of diene monomers for EPDM include dicyclopentadiene, methylenenorbornene, ethylidenenorbornene, 1,4-hexadiene, and cyclooctadiene.

[0035] Furthermore, the rubber composition forming the compressible layer 11 may further contain, as necessary, reinforcing materials typically compounded in rubber, such as carbon black, silica, and short fibers; fillers, such as calcium carbonate and talc; crosslinking agents, such as sulfur and organic peroxides; co-crosslinking agents, such as N,N'-m-phenylenedimaleimide and quinone dioximes; vulcanization accelerators, plasticizers, stabilizers, processing aids, and colorants. Examples of short fibers that can be used include cotton, polyester (PET, PEN, etc.), nylon (6 nylon, 66 nylon, 46 nylon, etc.), aramid (p-aramid, m-aramid), vinylon, and polyparaphenylene benzobisoxazole (PBO) fibers. These short fibers can be used alone or in combination.

[0036] (Stretch layer 13) The tension layer 13 may be formed from the same rubber composition as that forming the compression layer 11 .

[0037] (core layer 12) In the cord layer 12, the cords 121 are embedded in a rubber composition in a spiral shape along the circumferential direction of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1. From the viewpoints of adhesion to the cords 121 and stress relaxation on the cords 121, the rubber composition constituting the cord layer 12 is preferably formulated with a higher emphasis on adhesion and stress resistance than the rubber compositions of the compression layer 11 and the tension layer 13. As a result, the spirally embedded cords 121 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the width direction when viewed in a width-direction cross section of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 (see FIG. 2).

[0038] As the fibers constituting the core wire 121, polyester fibers (polyalkylene arylate fibers, polyethylene terephthalate fibers, polyethylene naphthalate fibers, etc.) whose main constituent unit is a C2-4 alkylene arylate such as ethylene terephthalate or ethylene-2,6-naphthalate, synthetic fibers such as aramid fibers, and inorganic fibers such as carbon fibers are used in terms of high modulus, with polyester fibers and aramid fibers being preferred. These fibers may be multifilament yarns. The fineness of the multifilament yarns may be 2,000 to 10,000 denier, preferably 4,000 to 8,000 denier.

[0039] The core wire 121 is often a twisted cord (multi-filament twist, single twist, Lang twist, etc.) made of multifilament yarn, and the average wire diameter (fiber diameter of the twisted cord) of the core wire 121 should be 0.5 to 3 mm, preferably 0.6 to 2 mm, and more preferably 0.7 to 1.5 mm.

[0040] In this embodiment, a single continuous core wire 121 is spirally wound around the circumferential direction of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 and embedded therein, but multiple bundled core wires 121 may also be spirally wound around the circumferential direction of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 and embedded therein.

[0041] (upper canvas 14) The upper canvas 14 is made up of four layers of rubberized canvas laminated together. The rubberized canvas is made of, for example, cotton, polyester fiber, nylon, etc., and is woven in a plain weave, twill weave, satin weave, etc., with the crossing angle between the warp and weft threads set to a wide angle of about 90° to 120°. The same rubber composition as that forming the compression layer 11 is rubbed into the woven fabric by friction processing.

[0042] (Passive RFID tag 15) As shown in FIG. 3, the passive RFID tag 15 includes an IC chip 151 having a temperature sensor 151A (not shown), a control circuit 151B (not shown), and a memory 151C (not shown), a resonant antenna 152 to which the IC chip 151 is mounted (connected), and an antenna 153 having a booster antenna 153A and a loop antenna 153B that can be wirelessly connected to the resonant antenna 152 by electromagnetic coupling. In this embodiment, the IC chip 151, the resonant antenna 152, and the loop antenna 153B are integrally covered with a protective layer 154 made of an elastic material (protective material).

[0043] (IC chip 151) The IC chip 151 is capable of writing (storing) temperature data (such as temperature and ID, which corresponds to information related to the state of the belt) inside the raw-edge cog V-belt 1 measured by the temperature sensor 151A to the memory 151C. The IC chip 151 also has the function of converting the temperature data written to the memory 151C into a signal and transmitting it. That is, in this embodiment, the IC chip 151 also has a temperature sensor function.

[0044] The resonant antenna 152 is made of a conductive metal thin film (such as an aluminum thin film) formed by paste printing, sputtering, resist, etc., which allows for good mounting of the IC chip 151. Then, using this metal thin film as an electrode, the IC chip 151 is mounted on the metal thin film as shown in FIG.

[0045] (Antenna 153) As shown in Figure 3, antenna 153 is a dipole antenna formed by a meander-line-shaped booster antenna 153A made by bending a copper twisted wire (conductive linear material) into a crank shape, and a loop antenna 153B made into a loop shape. The booster antenna 153A has a bilaterally symmetrical shape in which meander-line twisted copper wires extend from the loop antenna 153B to one side and the other side in the extension direction. Loop antenna 153B is disposed in the center of antenna 153, and is a part that is electromagnetically coupled with resonant antenna 152, and has a loop shape to strengthen the electromagnetic coupling. Note that the loop of loop antenna 153B may be a single turn or multiple turns depending on the specifications. In this way, antenna 153 does not have any weak parts by eliminating the connection parts with other members.

[0046] The conductive linear material constituting the antenna 153 is preferably a metal thin film, a metal wire, a conductive fiber in which the fiber is coated with metal, a composite conductive fiber composed of an insulating fiber and a conductive fiber such as a metal wire or a metal foil, or a woven fabric containing at least one of these fibers. In this embodiment, the copper twisted wire constituting the antenna 153 is fluorine-treated (Teflon (registered trademark)-supported).

[0047] As described above, the antenna 153 is formed from a single copper twisted wire (conductive wire), and therefore, the antenna 153 can be arranged on a plane within the laminate of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 without being arranged on a substrate (base). Furthermore, the copper twisted wire is flexible and can deform to follow the bending deformation of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1, thereby improving the durability of the antenna 153.

[0048] (Protective layer 154) The protective layer 154 uses silicone rubber (KE45T manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., one-component condensation RTV rubber, hardness (type A) 30, elongation at break 350%, tensile strength 2.0 MPa) as a protective material. Specifically, silicone rubber was applied to the surface of resonance antenna 152 mounted with IC chip 151 to provide an insulating layer with a thickness of 0.1 mm. Furthermore, the entire resonance antenna 152 mounted with IC chip 151 and provided with this insulating layer, and loop antenna 153B of antenna 153, were integrally covered with the same protective material, silicone rubber, to form protective layer 154 (see FIG. 3).

[0049] Here, regarding the positional relationship of loop antenna 153B with respect to resonance antenna 152, as shown in FIG. 3(C), the upper surface of resonance antenna 152 and the lower surface of loop antenna 153B are arranged so as to have a separation distance D1 of 0.1 mm in the belt thickness direction. 3(B), it is preferable that the loop antenna 153B and the resonant antenna 152 are positioned so as not to overlap in the belt thickness direction. Furthermore, it is preferable that the edge of the loop antenna 153B and the edge of the resonant antenna 152 are in contact with each other when viewed from the belt thickness direction, as shown in (b) or (d) of FIG. According to the above configuration, it is possible to improve the transmission / reception sensitivity (communication performance) between the RFID reader / writer 4 and the passive RFID tag 15 (antenna 153).

[0050] In this embodiment, the protective layer 154 covers the resonant antenna 152 on which the IC chip 151 is mounted and the loop antenna 153B, thereby protecting the IC chip 151 and the resonant antenna 152, which are particularly vulnerable to bending fatigue. Furthermore, since the resonant antenna 152 and the loop antenna 153B are integrally covered by the protective layer 154, the relative positional relationship between the resonant antenna 152 and the loop antenna 153B can be fixed in advance, and the electromagnetic coupling between the resonant antenna 152 and the loop antenna 153B can be stabilized. This improves ease of handling in the process of arranging the resonant antenna 152 and the antenna 153, each having an IC chip 151 mounted thereon, in the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 during manufacturing of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1.

[0051] According to the raw-edge cog V-belt 1 equipped with the above-mentioned passive RFID tag 15, the booster antenna 153A of the antenna 153 and the resonant antenna 152 equipped with the IC chip 151 are wirelessly connected by electromagnetic coupling, so that the antenna 153 and the IC chip 151 are not physically connected. This eliminates the physical connection (solder joint) between the antenna 153 and the IC chip 151, which is vulnerable to bending fatigue, thereby improving the durability of the passive RFID tag 15 attached to the raw-edge cog V-belt 1. Furthermore, by eliminating the need to physically connect the antenna 153 and the IC chip 151, the antenna 153 and the IC chip 151 can be disposed independently and separately. This allows the placement of the antenna 153 and IC chip 151 to be selected appropriately depending on the usage environment. Furthermore, since the IC chip 151 and the resonant antenna 152 are covered with a protective layer 154 made of an elastic material, the protective layer 154 deforms in response to the bending deformation of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1, thereby protecting the IC chip 151 and the resonant antenna 152.

[0052] (RFID reader / writer 4) The RFID reader / writer 4 (corresponding to a reader) may be, for example, a portable tablet. As shown in FIG. 1, the RFID reader / writer 4 has an antenna (not shown) that transmits radio signals to the passive RFID tag 15 (booster antenna 153A) provided on the raw-edge cog-V-belt 1 and receives temperature data (corresponding to information about the belt condition) transmitted from the passive RFID tag 15 (booster antenna 153A). After receiving the temperature data, the RFID reader / writer 4 can store, analyze, and display the analysis results under program control. For example, UHF radio waves (frequency band: 860 to 960 MHz) are used for communication between the RFID reader / writer 4 and the passive RFID tag 15, but frequencies in the LF, HF, or 2.4 GHz bands may also be used.

[0053] In addition, in the program-controlled analysis, not only is the internal temperature data of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 output, but the degree of deterioration of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 can be analyzed by comparing the observed temperature data transmitted from the passive RFID tag 15 with reference temperature data obtained in advance by analyzing actual measurement data, and the need for replacement of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1, the replacement timing, and other abnormalities can be displayed on a display screen of the RFID reader / writer 4, etc.

[0054] (Method of transmitting and receiving data between RFID reader / writer 4 and passive RFID tag 15) Next, communication between the RFID reader / writer 4 and the passive RFID tag 15 will be described. First, the RFID reader / writer 4 (see FIG. 1) transmits electromagnetic waves (for example, UHF band waves, frequency band: 860 to 960 MHz) to the raw-edge cog V-belt 1 equipped with the passive RFID tag 15. Then, the electromagnetic waves transmitted from the RFID reader / writer 4 are received by the booster antenna 153A. Then, a current flows to the loop antenna 153B via the booster antenna 153A due to electromagnetic induction caused by the received electromagnetic waves, and a current flows to the resonant antenna 152 from the loop antenna 153B due to electromagnetic induction. This causes power to be supplied to IC chip 151 mounted on resonant antenna 152. Then, the temperature data (temperature, identification ID, etc.) measured by temperature sensor 151A and stored in memory 151C of IC chip 151 is converted into a signal. The temperature data converted into a signal is then transmitted from the resonant antenna 152 to the loop antenna 153B by electromagnetic induction, and further transmitted to the RFID reader / writer 4 from the booster antenna 153A.

[0055] If the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 is continuously used under various external and internal pressures, the internal temperature of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 may rise due to the pressure, or the internal temperature of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 may rise due to the effects of frictional heat, or distortion may occur in the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1. Therefore, as described above, the temperature sensor 151A provided in the IC chip 151 detects and observes the internal temperature of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 (belt status information), and by transmitting the observed internal temperature to the outside (RFID reader / writer 4), it is possible to determine deterioration or damage to the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1.

[0056] According to the temperature data acquisition system 100 for the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1, a system can be constructed that can stably transmit and receive temperature data between the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 equipped with a passive RFID tag 15 with improved durability and the RFID reader / writer 4.

[0057] (Other embodiments) In the above embodiment, the protective layer 154 covers the resonant antenna 152 on which the IC chip 151 is mounted and the loop antenna 153B, but the protective layer 154 may be configured to cover only the resonant antenna 152 on which the IC chip 151 is mounted, without covering the loop antenna 153B.

[0058] This allows the IC chip 151 and the resonant antenna 152, which are covered with the protective layer 154, to be handled as a single component, thereby improving the ease of handling in the process of placing the IC chip 151 and the resonant antenna 152 during the manufacture of the raw edge cogged V-belt.

[0059] Furthermore, because IC chip 151 and resonant antenna 152 can be treated as a single component, the relative positional relationship between loop antenna 153B of antenna 153 and resonant antenna 152 can be adjusted in the belt thickness direction and horizontal direction during the manufacture of the raw-edge cogged V-belt (see FIG. 6). This allows for an optimal placement for communication to be selected depending on the usage environment of the raw-edge cogged V-belt. For example, the placement locations of antenna 153 (loop antenna 153B) and resonant antenna 152 equipped with IC chip 151 can be appropriately selected based on the interlayer relationship between the constituent materials of the raw-edge cogged V-belt (see FIG. 6).

[0060] Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, an antenna 153 and a resonant antenna 152 equipped with an IC chip 151 can be separately arranged between the layers of upper canvas 14, which is made up of four layers of rubberized canvas laminated on the back side of a raw-edge cogged V-belt 201, via two layers of rubberized canvas.

[0061] In the above-described raw edge cogged V-belt 201, the antenna 153 and the resonant antenna 152 mounting the IC chip 151 are provided on the upper canvas 14 (back layer). The antenna 153 is disposed on the back side of the resonant antenna 152 mounting the IC chip 151. The resonant antenna 152 mounting the IC chip 151 is disposed between the antenna 153 and the core wire 121.

[0062] According to the above configuration, the antenna 153 is provided on the rear side of the resonant antenna 152 on which the IC chip 151 is mounted and the core wire 121, thereby improving the sensitivity of transmission and reception of temperature data to and from the RFID reader / writer 4.

[0063] Furthermore, when the raw-edge cog V-belt 1 is bent and deformed, a tensile stress acts on the area behind the core 121, and the stress is greater toward the back side and smaller toward the core 121. In other words, the area closer to the core 121 is less susceptible to bending fatigue. Therefore, the IC chip 151, which is more fragile than the antenna 153, is placed closer to the core wire 121 where tensile stress is less likely to act, while the antenna 153, which is more durable than the IC chip 151, is placed on the back side of the IC chip 151, prioritizing the sensitivity of transmission and reception with the RFID reader / writer 4. This makes it possible to improve both the flex fatigue resistance (durability of the sensing function) and the communication performance of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 201 equipped with the passive RFID tag 15.

[0064] In addition, in the above embodiment, the temperature sensor 151A was described as an example of a sensor that detects the state (temperature) of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1, but it may also be a pressure sensor that measures the internal pressure of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 (corresponding to the state of the belt) or a strain sensor that detects the strain of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 (corresponding to the state of the belt). [Example]

[0065] (Evaluation of communication performance in relation to the horizontal distance between the loop antenna 153B and the resonant antenna 152) Regarding the positional relationship between the loop antenna 153B and the resonant antenna 152 in the passive RFID tag 15 placed on the low-edge cog V-belt 1, the position of the IC chip 151 mounted (connected) on the resonant antenna 152 was set as the origin, and the separation distance D1 in the belt thickness direction (see Figure 6) was kept constant at 0.1 mm, and the communication performance was evaluated for passive RFID tags 15 with the horizontal separation distance D2 (see Figure 4(A)) changed.

[0066] Specifically, as shown in Figure 4(A), the RFID reader / writer 4 (handheld receiver (AT-R2000-J1 manufactured by ATID)) was placed 300 mm (-300 mm) away from the IC chip 151 to which the resonant antenna 152 was connected, on the opposite side of the loop antenna 153B, and the received signal strength RSSI was measured by the RFID reader / writer 4 (the higher the RSSI, the better the communication performance).

[0067] 4(B)(c), when the side of the resonant antenna 152 facing the RFID reader / writer 4 (more specifically, the position of the mounted IC chip 151) and the side of the loop antenna 153B facing the RFID reader / writer 4 are positioned so as to overlap in the belt thickness direction, the horizontal separation distance D2 was set to 0. When the loop antenna 153B moves away from the RFID reader / writer 4 in the horizontal direction, based on the position where the horizontal separation distance D2 is 0, the separation distance D2 was set to a positive value (see (d) and (e) of FIG. 4(B)). On the other hand, when the loop antenna 153B moves closer to the RFID reader / writer 4 in the horizontal direction, based on the position where the horizontal separation distance D2 is 0, the separation distance D2 was set to a negative value (see (a) and (b) of FIG. 4(B)).

[0068] FIG. 7 shows the measurement results of the received signal strength RSSI value when the separation distance D2 between the loop antenna 153B and the resonant antenna 152 is changed. As shown in FIG. 7, RSSI was detected and communication was possible when the separation distance D2 was in the range of −15 mm or more and −4 mm or less, and in the range of +2 mm or more and +10 mm or less. In addition, when the separation distance D2 was −5 mm (FIG. 4B(b)) and when the separation distance D2 was +5 mm (FIG. 4B(d)), the RSSI value was highest and communication performance was good. In other words, it was found that the transmission and reception sensitivity (communication performance) between the RFID reader / writer 4 and the passive RFID tag 15 can be improved when the loop antenna 153B and the resonant antenna 152 are positioned so that they do not overlap in the belt thickness direction, and when viewed from the belt thickness direction, the edge of the loop antenna 153B and the edge of the resonant antenna 152 are in contact with each other.

[0069] (Evaluation of the distance (in the belt thickness direction) between the loop antenna 153B and the resonant antenna 152 and communication performance) Regarding the positional relationship between the loop antenna 153B and the resonant antenna 152 in the passive RFID tag 15 placed on the raw-edge cog V-belt 1, the position of the IC chip 151 mounted (connected) to the resonant antenna 152 was set as the origin, and the horizontal separation distance D2 was kept constant at 5 mm, while the separation distance D1 in the belt thickness direction was changed. The measurement results of the received signal strength (RSSI) value when the separation distance D1 in the belt thickness direction between the loop antenna 153B and the resonant antenna 152 was changed are shown in Table 1 below. The separation distance D1 between the loop antenna 153B and the resonant antenna 152 in the belt thickness direction is the linear distance from the bottom surface of the loop antenna 153B to the resonant antenna 152 (more specifically, the position of the mounted IC chip 151), as shown in FIG. 6, and the separation distance D1 is a positive value when the resonant antenna 152 moves downward in the vertical direction (belt thickness direction) from 153B.

[0070] [Table 1]

[0071] RSSI was detected and communication was possible for all distances D1 between 0.1 and 0.5 mm. Furthermore, when the distance D1 was 0.1 mm, the RSSI value was highest and communication performance was excellent.

[0072] (Durability test) Next, a running test was carried out using a raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 (Example) equipped with the passive RFID tag 15 of the above embodiment and a raw-edge cogged V-belt (Comparative Example) equipped with a conventional passive RFID tag.

[0073] (Raw edge cog V-belt of the example) The raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 of the embodiment has a width of 22.3 mm on the back side, a belt thickness of 11.4 mm, and a circumferential length of 1550 mm. As shown in Figure 2, the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 is configured as a laminate of, from the inner surface to the back side of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1, a compression layer 11, a core layer 12 containing core wires 121 embedded spirally along the circumferential direction of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1, a tension layer 13, and an upper canvas 14 made of four overlapping rubberized canvases. A passive RFID tag 15 is embedded in the upper canvas 14 in the center of the width of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1, between the first and second rubberized canvases from the inner surface. As shown in FIG. 3, in the passive RFID tag 15, the positional relationship between the loop antenna 153B of the antenna 153 and the resonant antenna 152 is such that the separation distance D1 in the belt thickness direction is 0.1 mm and the separation distance D2 in the horizontal direction is 5 mm.

[0074] Table 2 shows the composition of the compression rubber constituting the compression layer 11, the composition of the tension rubber constituting the tension layer 13, and the composition of the adhesive rubber constituting the core layer 12 of the raw edge cogged V-belt 1 according to the embodiment.

[0075] [Table 2]

[0076] CR (chloroprene rubber): DENKA Corporation "PM-40" Aramid staple fiber: Twaron (registered trademark) manufactured by Teijin Limited, modulus 88 cN, fineness 2.2 dtex, fiber length 3 mm Naphthenic oil: Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.'s "Diana (registered trademark) Process Oil NS-90S" Silica: "ULTRASIL (registered trademark) VN3" manufactured by Evonik Japan Co., Ltd., BET specific surface area 175 m / g Carbon black HAF: "Seast (registered trademark) 3" manufactured by Tokai Carbon Co., Ltd. Antioxidant: Nocrac (registered trademark) AD-F manufactured by Ouchi Shinko Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. Vulcanization accelerator TT: "Noccela (registered trademark) TT" manufactured by Ouchi Shinko Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

[0077] (upper canvas 14) For the upper canvas 14, a rubberized canvas was used, which was made by immersing plain weave canvas made from spun cotton yarn in RFL liquid, then heat-treating the canvas at 150°C for 2 minutes, and then rubbing in the adhesive rubber composition shown in Table 2 above for friction processing.

[0078] (core wire) The core wire 121 is made of 1000 denier polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers twisted in a 2x3 configuration with a top twist coefficient of 3.0 and a bottom twist coefficient of 3.0, resulting in a total denier of 6,000 cord that has been adhesively treated.

[0079] (Passive RFID tag 15) In the passive RFID tag 117, silicone rubber is applied to the surface of the resonant antenna 152 on which the IC chip 151 is mounted, forming an insulating layer with a thickness of 0.1 mm. Furthermore, the entire resonant antenna 152 on which the IC chip 151 is mounted, and the loop antenna 153B of the antenna 153, on which this insulating layer is provided, are integrally covered with the same protective material, silicone rubber, to form a protective layer 154 (see FIG. 3). The antenna 153 does not have a base. The IC chip 151 is an IC chip equipped with a temperature sensor 151A. In other words, the passive RFID tag 15 is integrated with the temperature sensor 151A. The antenna 153 is made of twisted copper wire, with a diameter of 0.51 mm (0.18 mm × 7 strands), and Teflon (registered trademark) particles are supported on the surface. The passive RFID tag 15 measures 100 mm × 10 mm. The passive RFID tag 15 is embedded in the upper canvas 14 in the central part in the width direction of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 between the first and second rubberized canvases from the inner side, with its long side aligned along the circumferential direction of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1.

[0080] (Method of manufacturing raw edge cogged V-belt according to the embodiment) The rubber compositions for forming the compression layer 11, tension layer 13, and cord layer 12 were each kneaded in a Banbury mixer using the formulations shown in Table 2, and the resulting kneaded rubber was passed through a calendar roll to produce unvulcanized rubber sheets (compression layer sheet, tension layer sheet, cord layer sheet). The short fibers were adhesively treated with RFL liquid and had a solids adhesion rate of 6% by mass. A sheet-like cog pad was also produced by molding a cog shape into a compression layer sheet (unvulcanized rubber) of a specified thickness. Furthermore, four pieces of rubberized canvas were produced by friction-processing the same rubber composition as that forming the compression layer 11 onto woven fabrics made of cotton, polyester fiber, nylon, etc., woven in plain weave, twill weave, satin weave, etc., with the crossing angle between the warp and weft threads widened to approximately 90° to 120°.

[0081] Next, a cylindrical mold with alternating convex and concave portions corresponding to the cog shapes on its outer periphery was used, and a pre-fabricated cog pad was wound around it so that it fitted into the cog shape on the outer periphery. A core wire sheet (unvulcanized rubber) was then wound around the outer periphery. The core wire 121 was spirally spun around the outer periphery, and a stretch layer sheet was then wound around the outer periphery. A single piece of rubberized canvas was then wrapped around the outer periphery, and a passive RFID tag 15 was attached to a predetermined position on the outer periphery. Three pieces of rubberized canvas were then wrapped around the outer periphery to produce a molded body.

[0082] The mold with the molded body attached was then placed in a vulcanizer with a jacket placed around the belt periphery, and vulcanization was carried out at 170°C for 40 minutes to produce a vulcanized belt sleeve. This sleeve was cut into a V shape with a cutter to produce a raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 (size: back side width 22.3 mm, belt thickness 11.4 mm, belt circumference 1550 mm) with a passive RFID tag 15 embedded in the upper canvas 14.

[0083] (Comparative example: raw edge cog V-belt) The raw-edge cogged V-belt of the comparative example has a configuration in which the passive RFID tag 15 embedded in the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 of the embodiment is replaced with a conventional passive RFID tag. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 8, the conventional passive RFID tag according to the comparative example has an antenna formed from a single twisted copper wire, an aluminum thin film (electrode) where the IC chip is mounted, and an antenna structure in which the antenna formed from this twisted copper wire and the aluminum thin film (electrode) where the IC chip is mounted are connected via a connecting conductive wire (solid copper wire). In this antenna structure, the respective connecting parts (circled parts in the dashed-dotted line in Fig. 8) are joined with solder. The other configurations of the raw-edge cogged V-belt of the comparative example are the same as those of the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 of the embodiment.

[0084] (Monitoring the internal temperature of the belt as it runs) A running test was conducted using the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 of the example and the raw-edge cogged V-belt of the comparative example to confirm running durability (temperature sensor function time). The running test device used was a test device in which the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 of the example or the raw-edge cogged V-belt of the comparative example was stretched across a φ150 mm drive pulley and a φ150 mm driven pulley.

[0085] During the running test, the internal temperature signals of each raw-edge cog- ed V-belt were detected by an IC chip (temperature sensor) in a passive RFID tag embedded in each raw-edge cog- ed V-belt, and received by a handheld receiver (ATID, AT-R2000-J1) and output to a PC to monitor the temperature changes. Table 3 shows the running test results for the example and comparative example.

[0086] [Table 3]

[0087] (Test 1) The raw edge cog V-belts of the examples and comparative examples were used as test specimens, and the belts were run under a drive pulley shaft load of 50 kgf, a rotation speed of 2000 rpm, and an ambient temperature of 25° C. The sensor function was continued for 120 minutes, with the internal temperature being checked every 10 minutes for detection. In the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 of the example, the passive RFID tag 15 was not broken even after 120 minutes had passed, and the internal temperature could be detected (the sensor function was maintained). On the other hand, with the comparative raw-edge cog V-belt, the internal temperature could no longer be detected after 30 minutes had passed (the sensor function was lost).

[0088] (Test 2) The raw edge cog V-belts of the examples and comparative examples were used as test specimens, and were run under a drive pulley shaft load of 80 kgf, a rotation speed of 2000 rpm, and an ambient temperature of 25° C. The sensor function was continued for 200 hours, with the internal temperature being checked every 10 minutes for detection. In the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 of the example, the passive RFID tag 15 was not broken even after 200 hours had passed, and the internal temperature could be detected (the sensor function was maintained). On the other hand, with the comparative raw-edge cog V-belt, the internal temperature could no longer be detected after 10 minutes had passed (the sensor function was lost).

[0089] (Test 3) The raw edge cog V-belts of the examples and comparative examples were used as test specimens, and were run under a drive pulley shaft load of 80 kgf, a rotation speed of 3600 rpm, and an ambient temperature of 25° C. The sensor function was continued for 200 hours, with the internal temperature being checked every 10 minutes for detection. In the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 of the example, the passive RFID tag 15 was not broken even after 200 hours had passed, and the internal temperature could be detected (the sensor function was maintained). On the other hand, with the comparative raw-edge cog V-belt, the internal temperature could no longer be detected after 10 minutes had passed (the sensor function was lost).

[0090] From the above running test results, it was confirmed that the raw-edge cogged V-belt 1 according to the embodiment can improve the durability of the passive RFID tag provided in the raw-edge cogged V-belt compared to the raw-edge cogged V-belt according to the comparative example, and can improve the durability of the sensing function while the belt is running. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 1 Raw Edge Cogged V-Belt 2 drive pulley 3 driven pulley 4 RFID reader / writer 11 Compressed layer 12 Core layer 121 Core Wire 13 Stretch layer 14 Upper canvas 15 Passive RFID tags 151 IC chip 151A Temperature Sensor 152 Resonant Antenna 153 Antenna 153A Booster Antenna 153B Loop Antenna 154 Protective layer 100 Raw Edge Cogged V-Belt Temperature Data Acquisition System

Claims

1. A belt having a laminate including a back layer disposed on a back side and a core layer having a core, a sensor provided on the laminate for detecting the state of the belt; an IC chip provided on the laminate and capable of storing information about the state of the belt detected by the sensor, a resonant antenna connected to the IC chip, and an RFID having an antenna; The antenna is a booster antenna capable of transmitting information about the state of the belt to the outside; a loop antenna that can be wirelessly connected to the resonant antenna by electromagnetic coupling, The IC chip and the resonant antenna are covered with a protective material using an elastic material, the antenna and the IC chip are provided on the back surface layer, the antenna is disposed closer to the rear surface than the IC chip, The IC chip is disposed between the antenna and the core body.

2. 2. The belt according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is formed of a single conductive wire.

3. 2. The belt according to claim 1, wherein the protective material covers only the IC chip and the resonant antenna.

4. The belt according to claim 1 , wherein the protective material covers the IC chip, the resonant antenna, and the loop antenna.

5. The belt according to claim 1 , wherein the loop antenna and the resonant antenna are positioned so as not to overlap each other when viewed in the thickness direction of the belt.

6. A belt according to any one of claims 1 to 5; a reader that receives information about the belt status from the booster antenna of the RFID.

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