Blank plate for RFIC element-equipped packaging container, packaging container, and method for manufacturing a blank plate for RFIC element-equipped packaging container.

Abstract

To provide a blank plate for a packaging container with an RFIC element that does not impair an exterior beautifulness design, and in which a content and the RFIC element do not interfere and the RFIC element is not easily damaged because the RFIC element is provided in a packaging container so as to be difficult to be visually recognized from outside.SOLUTION: A blank plate 170 with an RFIC element for a packaging container 1 according to the present disclosure includes a trunk pasted part 111 to which a trunk part of the packaging container 1 is bonded together in a cylindrical shape, the trunk pasted part 111 includes an RFIC element 150 and an antenna conductive part 123, the trunk pasted part 111 is provided with an element storage recess 112, and the RFIC element 150 is stored in the element storage recess 112. The antenna conductive part 123 includes a first antenna conductive part 123a and a second antenna conductive part 123b that are electrically separated from each other. The RFIC element 150 is disposed inside the element storage recess 112.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3B

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a blank plate for a packaging container with an RFIC element, a packaging container, and a method for manufacturing the blank plate for a packaging container with an RFIC element.

Background Art

[0002] As non-contact short-range communication using radio waves, an IC tag using RFID (radio frequency identifier) technology is used. For example, with IC tags attached to various articles and their packaging containers, the articles are put into circulation such as transportation and sales. In this case, if necessary, by holding the article near an external device (reader / writer), the article information recorded in the RFIC element of the IC tag can be read out by non-contact communication, and various information can be written into the RFIC element. This enables efficient logistics management.

[0003] Conventionally, when using RFID technology in a packaging container, an IC tag was attached to the packaging container as described above. Also, for the purpose of reducing manufacturing costs, a form in which an RFIC element and an antenna pattern are directly provided on packaging cardboard has been proposed in Patent Document 1.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

[0006] This disclosure provides a blank plate and packaging container for an RFIC element-equipped packaging container, in which the RFIC element is incorporated into the packaging container in a manner that makes it difficult to see from the outside, thus not impairing the external aesthetic design. Furthermore, since the RFIC element does not protrude from the inner surface, the contents and the RFIC element do not interfere with each other, thus providing a blank plate and packaging container for an RFIC element-equipped packaging container that is less likely to be damaged. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This disclosure can solve the above-mentioned problems by the solutions shown below. The RFIC element-equipped blank plate 170 for the packaging container 1 of this disclosure is In a blank plate 170 with an RFIC element for a packaging container 1, in which at least one blank plate 100 is assembled three-dimensionally, The packaging container 1 is equipped with a body-bonding portion 111 into which the body is bonded together in a cylindrical shape, The aforementioned body-covering portion 111 is equipped with an RFIC element 150 and an antenna conductive portion 123. The aforementioned body-shaped portion 111 is provided with an element housing recess 112. The RFIC element 150 is housed in the element housing recess 112. The antenna conductive part 123 comprises a first antenna conductive part 123a and a second antenna conductive part 123b that are electrically isolated from each other. An RFIC element 150 is positioned at a location where the first antenna conductive part 123a and the second antenna conductive part 123b are arranged in close proximity, and the first antenna conductive part 123a and the second antenna conductive part 123b are directly or capacitively coupled to each other.

[0008] The RFIC element-equipped blank plate 170 for the packaging container 1 of this disclosure is When viewed from the surface side, the width W1 of the edges 112a of the pair of bottom portions in the element housing recess 112 may be larger than the width W2 of the bottom portion of the RFIC element 150 by a range of 0.5 mm to 3 mm.

[0009] The RFIC element-equipped blank plate 170 for the packaging container 1 of this disclosure is The depth D1 of the element housing recess 112 may be such that, compared to the height D2 of the RFIC element 150, the lower limit is 0.1 mm less than the height D2 and the upper limit is 1 mm greater than the height D2.

[0010] The RFIC element-equipped blank plate 170 for the packaging container 1 of this disclosure is The antenna conductive portion 123 may be provided so as to straddle the body-covering portion 111 and the adjacent panel of the body-covering portion 111.

[0011] The RFIC element-equipped blank plate 170 for the packaging container 1 of this disclosure is The thickness of the antenna conductive portion 123 may be 15 nm or more and 100 nm or less.

[0012] The RFIC element-equipped blank plate 170 for the packaging container 1 of this disclosure is The RFIC element 150 may also be an RFIC element 150 that includes an impedance matching circuit.

[0013] The RFIC element-equipped blank plate 170 for the packaging container 1 of this disclosure is In the region of the antenna conductive part 123, The layer structure of the blank plate 100 is at least, The base layer 121 and An adhesive layer 122 laminated on one side of the base material layer 121, The aforementioned antenna conductive part 123 and They can be stacked in this order.

[0014] The packaging container 1 of the present disclosure A blank plate 170 with an RFIC element for the packaging container 1 disclosed in any of the above may be assembled.

[0015] The manufacturing method of the blank plate 170 with an RFIC element for the packaging container 1 of the present disclosure An adhesive layer printing step of printing the adhesive layer 122 on the base material layer 121, An antenna conductive part laminating step of laminating the antenna conductive part 123 laminated on the release sheet 131 via the release layer 124 on the adhesive layer 122, A step of curing or drying the adhesive layer 122, A peeling step of peeling the release sheet 131, A punching step of punching the laminated sheet produced in each of the above steps into a predetermined shape, and a step of providing an element storage recess 112 in the blank plate 100 produced in the punching step, A step of arranging the RFIC element 150 in the element storage recess 112 may be provided.

[0016] The manufacturing method of the blank plate 170 with an RFIC element for the packaging container 1 of the present disclosure An antenna conductive part laminating step of laminating the antenna conductive part 123 laminated on the release sheet 131 via the release layer 124 and the adhesive layer 122 on the base material layer 121, A peeling step of peeling the release sheet 131, A punching step of punching the laminated sheet produced in each of the above steps into a predetermined shape, and a step of providing an element storage recess 112 in the blank plate 100 produced in the punching step, A step of arranging the RFIC element 150 in the element storage recess 112 may be provided.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] As a result of the above disclosure, the RFIC element 150 is provided on the packaging container 1 in a manner that makes it difficult to see from the outside, so that the aesthetic design of the outside of the packaging container 1 is not impaired. This makes it possible to provide a blank plate 170 with an RFIC element for the packaging container 1 and the packaging container 1. Furthermore, since the RFIC element 150 is not exposed on the inner surface of the packaging container 1, the contents and the RFIC element 150 do not interfere with each other. Therefore, it is possible to provide a blank plate 170 with an RFIC element for the packaging container 1 and the packaging container 1 that makes it difficult for the RFIC element 150 to be damaged. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the packaging container 1 of the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a blank plate 170 with an RFIC element for assembling the packaging container 1 of the first embodiment. [Figure 3A] This is an enlarged view of section A shown in Figure 2. [Figure 3B] This is a cross-sectional view taken at the cross-sectional position BB shown in Figure 3A. [Figure 4] This is a blank plate 100 for assembling the packaging container 1 of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 4 is an enlarged view of section F. [Figure 6] This is a magnified view of the vicinity of the element housing recess 112 in the recessed blank plate 160, which has the element housing recess 112 processed therein. [Figure 7A] This is an explanatory diagram of the manufacturing process for a laminated sheet of blank plate 100. [Figure 7B] This is an explanatory diagram of the manufacturing process for a laminated sheet of blank plate 100. [Figure 7C] This is an explanatory diagram of the manufacturing process for a laminated sheet of blank plate 100. [Figure 7D] This is an explanatory diagram of the manufacturing process for a laminated sheet of blank plate 100. [Figure 7E] This is an explanatory diagram of the manufacturing process for a laminated sheet of blank plate 100. [Figure 7F] This is an explanatory diagram of the manufacturing process for a laminated sheet of blank plate 100. [Figure 7G] This is an explanatory diagram of the manufacturing process for a laminated sheet of blank plate 100. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings and other drawings.

[0020] (First Embodiment) Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the packaging container 1 of the first embodiment. Figure 2 is an unfolded view of a blank plate 170 with an RFIC element for assembling the packaging container 1 of the first embodiment. Figure 2 is an example of a straight sack shape, but other shapes such as inverted sack, seal end, auto bottom, and lock bottom are also possible. The unfolded view in Figure 2 is shown as viewed from the front side of the packaging container 1. In the unfolded views such as Figure 2, mountain folds are indicated by dashed lines. Furthermore, "mountain fold" refers to the direction of folding as viewed from the front side, as shown in the unfolded view in Figure 2. Figure 4 shows a blank plate 100 that does not have the RFIC element 150 and does not have the element housing recess 112, which will be described later, machined into it.

[0021] Furthermore, in the following explanation, we will use the front / back, left / right, and up / down directions indicated by the arrows in Figure 1, but this does not mean that the orientation of the packaging container 1 when in use is limited to these orientations. The following figures, including Figures 1 and 2, are schematic representations, and the size and shape of each part have been exaggerated or omitted as appropriate to facilitate understanding. Furthermore, the following explanation will include specific numerical values, shapes, materials, etc., but these may be changed as appropriate.

[0022] The packaging container 1 can be used as an outer box for storing various goods and displaying them for sale in stores, etc., and also has an RFIC (Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit) element 150, described later, directly mounted on it, giving it the function of an RFID device. As shown in Figure 2, the packaging container 1 is composed of a single sheet-like RFIC element-equipped blank plate 170. The layer structure of the blank plate 100 will be described later. The packaging container 1 is configured as a roughly rectangular box shape, comprising a front panel 101, a back panel 103, a top panel 105a, a bottom panel 106a, a left side panel 104, and a right side panel 102. The inside of this box serves as a storage area for goods and other items.

[0023] The front panel 101 is located on the front side of the packaging container 1. The right side panel 102 is attached to the right edge of the front panel 101 via a fold line L1 that is folded in a mountain shape. In the following explanation, "connected" refers to the arrangement of parts connected via fold lines, as shown in Figure 2 (RFIC element-equipped blank plate 170) or Figure 4 (blank plate 100). The front, back, left, and right directions used to describe the shape of the blank plate 100 are based on the directional indicators shown in Figure 1. Therefore, in the left side panel 104 shown in Figure 4, the designations for right and left are reversed. The left side panel 104 is attached to the left edge of the front panel 101 via a fold line L2 that is folded in a mountain shape. The top edge of the front panel 101 is connected to the top cover portion 105 via a fold line L11 that is folded in a mountain shape. The lower edge of the front panel 101 is connected to the lower cover portion 106 via a fold line L12 that is folded in a mountain fold.

[0024] The upper right side panel 102 is connected to the upper edge via a fold line L13, which is a mountain fold, by which the upper right flap portion 107 is attached. When the top cover portion 105 is closed, the upper right flap portion 107 closes together with the top panel 105a and folds inward into the top cover portion 105. A lower right flap portion 108 is attached to the lower edge of the right side panel 102 via a fold line L14 that is folded in a mountain fold. The lower right flap portion 108 closes together with the bottom panel 106a when the bottom cover portion 106 is closed, and folds inward into the bottom cover portion 106. The outer surface of the body-gluing portion 111, which will be described later, is glued to the inner surface of the right side panel 102.

[0025] The front panel 101 is connected to the front edge of the left side panel 104 via a fold line L2 that is folded in a mountain shape. The upper left flap portion 109 is connected to the upper edge of the left side panel 104 via a fold line L15 that is folded in a mountain fold. The upper left flap portion 109 closes together with the top panel 105a when the top cover portion 105, which closes the opening in an openable and closable manner, is closed, and folds inward into the top cover portion 105. A lower left flap portion 110 is attached to the lower edge of the left side panel 104 via a fold line L16 that is folded in a mountain fold. The lower left flap portion 110 closes together with the lower panel 106a when the lower cover portion 106, which closes the opening in an openable and closable manner, is closed, and folds inward into the lower cover portion 106. The rear panel 103 is connected to the rear edge of the left side panel 104 via a fold line L3 that is folded in a mountain shape.

[0026] The left side panel 104 is attached to the left edge of the rear panel 103 via a fold line L3 that is folded in a mountain shape. A body-attaching section 111 is attached to the right edge of the rear panel 103 via a fold line L4 that is folded in a mountain shape.

[0027] The top cover portion 105 comprises a top panel 105a and an upper insertion piece 105b. The top panel 105a is connected to the front panel 101 via a fold line L11, and the upper insertion piece 105b is connected to the top panel 105a via a fold line L17. When the upper insertion piece 105b is inserted into the inside of the packaging container 1, the top panel 105a closes the upper opening of the packaging container 1.

[0028] The lower cover portion 106 comprises a lower panel 106a and a lower insertion piece 106b. The bottom panel 106a is connected to the back panel 103 via a fold line L12, and the bottom insertion piece 106b is connected to the bottom panel 106a via a fold line L18. When the bottom insertion piece 106b is inserted into the inside of the packaging container 1, the bottom panel 106a closes the lower opening of the packaging container 1.

[0029] The body-attaching section 111 is connected to the back panel 103 via a fold line L4. Furthermore, the outer surface of the body-attaching section 111 is glued to the inner surface of the right side panel 102. The outer surface of this body-adhesive portion 111 is glued to the inner surface of the right side panel 102, thereby forming the box shape of the packaging container 1.

[0030] In this embodiment, the blank plate 100 for the packaging container 1 has an antenna conductive portion 123 provided only on the body-bonding portion 111. The antenna conductive portion 123 has a first antenna conductive portion 123a and a second antenna conductive portion 123b that are electrically isolated from each other. In the packaging container 1 of this embodiment, a gap portion 126 is provided between the first antenna conductive portion 123a and the second antenna conductive portion 123b, and the shape of the gap portion 126 is a straight line with a width of approximately 2 mm.

[0031] In this embodiment, the packaging container 1 is configured such that the first antenna conductive part 123a and the second antenna conductive part 123b are provided only on the body adhesive part 111. Therefore, after the packaging container 1 is formed, the presence of the antenna conductive part 123 will not be noticed by the user. Furthermore, the RFIC element 150, which will be described later, is positioned to straddle the first antenna conductive part 123a and the second antenna conductive part 123b, and is also configured so that it is provided only on the body adhesive part 111. Therefore, the presence of the RFIC element 150 will not be noticed by the user. Therefore, the antenna conductive part 123 and the RFIC element 150 are not visible from the outside, thus preserving the aesthetically pleasing appearance.

[0032] In this embodiment, the areas of the first antenna conductive portion 123a and the second antenna conductive portion 123b are different. However, the areas of the first antenna conductive portion 123a and the second antenna conductive portion 123b may be the same, in which case the gap portion 126 and the RFIC element 150 may be located approximately in the center of the body-covering portion 111 in the vertical direction.

[0033] Although not shown in the diagram, the area of ​​the antenna conductive portion 123 may be increased to improve the antenna characteristics. That is, the antenna conductive portion 123 may be expanded to the panel adjacent to the body-covering portion 111. In this case, the antenna conductive portion 123 will be located in a position where it is visible from the outside. Since the antenna conductive part 123 has a metallic luster, the design may utilize this metallic luster. Alternatively, a concealing layer may be provided to hide the antenna conductive part 123, and patterns, letters, etc. may be placed on top of the concealing layer (on the surface side).

[0034] Furthermore, as described above, the first antenna conductive part 123a and the second antenna conductive part 123b are provided in a state where they are completely electrically isolated in the blank plate 100. On the other hand, in the state of the RFIC element-equipped blank plate 170 and the packaging container 1, the RFIC element 150 is mounted in a manner that is directly or capacitively coupled to both the first antenna conductive part 123a and the second antenna conductive part 123b. Here, direct coupling refers to a state in which the conductive terminal part provided on the RFIC element is in direct contact with either the first antenna conductive part 123a or the second antenna conductive part 123b. Capacitive coupling refers to a state in which the conductive terminal part provided on the RFIC element 150 is coupled to either the first antenna conductive part 123a or the second antenna conductive part 123b via a non-conductive dielectric thin film.

[0035] In the state of packaging container 1, the first antenna conductive part 123a and the second antenna conductive part 123b function as antennas for wireless communication with an external reader / writer. Furthermore, by including an impedance matching circuit in the RFIC element 150, the antenna formed by the first antenna conductive part 123a and the second antenna conductive part 123b becomes able to efficiently capture the power emitted by the reader / writer.

[0036] Figure 3A is an enlarged view of section A shown in Figure 2. The first antenna conductive section 123a is provided on the upper part of the body-covering section 111, and the second antenna conductive section 123b is provided below it via a gap 126. The gap 126 is a straight slit. The RFIC element 150 is provided straddling the first antenna conductive section 123a and the second antenna conductive section 123b. Furthermore, an element housing recess 112 is provided spanning the first antenna conductive part 123a and the second antenna conductive part 123b, and the RFIC element 150 is housed inside the element housing recess 112.

[0037] The element housing recess 112 has a concave shape when viewed from the outer surface of the blank plate 100, and a convex shape on the inside. The element housing recess 112 contains the first terminal portion 123c of the first antenna conductive portion 123a, the second terminal portion 123d of the second antenna conductive portion 123b, and a gap portion 126. The RFIC element 150 is connected to the first terminal portion 123c and the second terminal portion 123d located in the element housing recess 112.

[0038] Figure 3B is a cross-sectional end view at the cross-sectional position BB shown in Figure 3A. The blank plate 100 has a body-mounted portion 111 which is provided with an element housing recess 112 that is concave when viewed from the outside. The element housing recess 112 is roughly rectangular in plan view and has an inverted trapezoidal cross-section. The width between the edges 112a of the pair of bottom surfaces is defined as the width W1 of the bottom surface, and the width between the upper edges 112b is defined as the width W2 of the upper surface. The width between the opposing sides of the RFIC element 150 is defined as the width W3 of the RFIC element 150.

[0039] The width W1 of the bottom portion may be 0.5 mm or more greater than the width W3 of the RFIC element 150. Doing so makes it easier for the bottom portion of the element housing recess 112 and the bottom portion of the RFIC element 150 to come into close contact, thus stabilizing their connection. The width W1 of the bottom surface of the element housing recess 112 may be smaller than the width W3 of the RFIC element 150 plus 3 mm. By doing so, the width W1 of the bottom surface will not be too large, the area of ​​the element housing recess 112 will be of an appropriate size, and the joining area between the body mounting portion 111 and the right side panel 102 will be properly secured. In addition, when processing the element housing recess 112, the force required for processing will be of an appropriate size, making it easier to process the element housing recess 112.

[0040] The above explanation assumes that the RFIC element 150 has a roughly rectangular shape. If the RFIC element 150 has any other shape, the gap may be 0.25 mm or more and 1 mm or less, provided that the center of the element housing recess 112 and the RFIC element 150 are aligned and the gap around them is roughly uniform.

[0041] The depth D1 of the element housing recess 112 may be 0.1 mm shallower than the height D2 of the RFIC element 150. By doing so, the upper surface of the RFIC element 150 can be prevented from protruding beyond the outer surface of the body-bonding portion 111, thereby stabilizing the joint between the body-bonding portion 111 and the right side panel 102. Note that the 0.1 mm protrusion of the RFIC element 150 can be absorbed by the reduction in the thickness of the blank plate 100 or by deformation such as bending. More preferably, the depth D1 of the element housing recess 112 is greater than the height D2 of the RFIC element 150, which further stabilizes the joint between the body-bonding portion 111 and the right side panel 102. Furthermore, the depth D1 of the element housing recess 112 may be less than the height D2 of the RFIC element 150 plus 1 mm. By doing so, the depth D1 of the element housing recess 112 is not machined to be deeper than necessary, making it less likely for damage (cracks) to occur in the blank plate 100 in the area of ​​the element housing recess 112. Preferably, the depth D1 of the element housing recess 112 is less than the height D2 of the RFIC element 150 plus 0.2 mm. It is acceptable for it to be small. By doing so, even a blank plate 100 with poor stretchability can easily form the element housing recess 112. The values ​​shown above are to be included within the given range.

[0042] The upper width W2 of the element housing recess 112 may be 0.5 mm larger than the lower width W1. This makes it easier to insert the RFIC element 150 into the element housing recess 112 when bonding it to the blank plate 100. As a result, it becomes easier to mount the RFIC element 150 to the blank plate 100, which is expected to reduce mounting defects of the RFIC element 150 and improve the manufacturing speed (capacity) of the RFIC element-equipped blank plate 170. The upper width W2 of the element housing recess 112 may be smaller than the width W1 of the bottom surface plus 2 mm. This ensures that the area of ​​the element housing recess 112 is of an appropriate size, and that the joining area between the body shim 111 and the right side panel 102 is properly secured. In addition, the force required for processing the element housing recess 112 is appropriate, making it easier to process the element housing recess 112.

[0043] The angle θ between the side surface 112c of the element housing recess 112 and the body-binding portion 111 may be 80° or less. By doing so, when processing the concave shape of the element housing recess 112, the area of ​​the blank plate 100 stretches smoothly, making it less likely for damage (cracks) to occur in the blank plate 100. Furthermore, the angle θ between the side surface 112c of the element housing recess 112 and the body reinforcement portion 111 may be 30° or more. By doing so, the area of ​​the element housing recess 112 becomes of an appropriate size, and the joining area between the body reinforcement portion 111 and the right side panel 102 can be appropriately secured. In addition, when processing the element housing recess 112, the force required for processing is of an appropriate size, making it easier to process the element housing recess 112.

[0044] The element housing recess 112 is formed by the following procedure. First, a male mold having a convex projection and a female mold having a concave recess are prepared, each having a predetermined shape. The female mold may have a through hole. The male and female molds are positioned in predetermined locations on the blank plate 100, and then the blank plate 100 is sandwiched between the male and female molds to form the element housing recess 112.

[0045] First, a laminated sheet is prepared to be used as the material for the blank plate 100. Here, the element housing recess 112 may be formed before the blank plate 100 is punched out to its outer shape, or it may be formed after the blank plate 100 has been punched out. By separating the punching process and the process of forming the element housing recess 112, it is possible to select processing conditions (examples, processing time, processing temperature, processing thrust, etc.) that are suitable for each process.

[0046] The male and female molds described above (especially the male mold) may be heated, while the die used in the die-cutting process may be used at room temperature without being heated. Alternatively, the element housing recess 112 may be formed simultaneously with the punching of the blank plate 100. In this case, the punching process and the formation of the element housing recess 112 can be carried out in the same process, thus reducing the number of steps.

[0047] Referring to Figure 3B, the layer structure of the laminated sheet of the blank plate 100 will be explained. Figure 3B shows a section that has the antenna conductive part 123 but does not have the element housing recess 112. The top of Figure 3B is the surface side.

[0048] The antenna conductive portion 123 region of the blank plate 100 is formed by laminating the base layer 121, the adhesive layer 122, the antenna conductive portion 123, and the release layer 124 in this order. Note that "laminated in this order" only indicates the order in which the layers are laminated, and is used to mean not only a form in which the layers are directly stacked, but also a blank plate 100 in which other layers are laminated in between so that each layer is laminated in the same order. Therefore, for example, a printed layer, a smoothing layer, a surface protection layer, etc., may be provided between the base layer 121 and the adhesive layer 122.

[0049] The base layer 121 can be made of, for example, coated cardboard, cardstock, or other types of paperboard. However, the paper material that can be used for the packaging container 1 is not limited to the above; any paper material that can maintain its shape even when filled with contents such as goods may be selected. Furthermore, the base layer 121 is not limited to paper material; a sheet-like material made of resin may also be used. When using a paper substrate layer for the base layer 121, the thickness of the paper substrate layer shall be 0.1 mm or more and 1.0 mm or less, or the basis weight (weight per unit area) of the paper substrate layer shall be 100 g / m². 2 More than 700g / m 2 The following conditions are desirable for maintaining the carton shape.

[0050] Here, it is desirable that the surface of the base material layer 121 (the surface when assembled into the packaging container 1, and the side on which the adhesive layer 122 etc. is laminated) be smooth in order to suppress the occurrence of pinholes and cracks in the antenna conductive part 123. More specifically, in the case of a paper base material layer, the smoothness (JIS P 8155) of its surface may be 20 seconds or more, and may even be 40 seconds or more, before the adhesive layer 122 etc. is laminated.

[0051] The adhesive layer 122 is partially laminated on the surface side of the substrate layer 121 and is formed of varnish or heat sealant. As the varnish, for example, FD IF Adhesive 1 manufactured by Toyo Ink Co., Ltd. can be used, and as the heat sealant, for example, PETHP65 adhesive varnish manufactured by Toyo Ink Co., Ltd. can be used. For electrical properties and foil transfer suitability, it is desirable that the thickness of the adhesive layer 122 be between 1 μm and 50 μm.

[0052] The antenna conductive portion 123 is laminated in the region where the adhesive layer 122 is provided. The antenna conductive portion 123 is composed of a conductive metal foil such as gold, silver, aluminum, tin, copper, brass, iron, and their alloys. The antenna conductive portion 123 is a transfer foil formed by a conductive layer lamination process described later, and is a metal foil formed by metal vapor deposition or the like.

[0053] As explained earlier, the antenna conductive part 123 has a first antenna conductive part 123a and a second antenna conductive part 123b that are electrically isolated from each other. Furthermore, a first terminal section 123c is provided where the first antenna conductive section 123a and the second antenna conductive section 123b are located close together, and the first antenna conductive section 123a is used as an antenna to connect the RFIC element 150. Similarly, a second terminal section 123d is provided where the second antenna conductive section 123b is used as an antenna to connect the RFIC element 150.

[0054] The thickness of the antenna conductive portion 123 is preferably 15 nm to 100 nm in terms of electrical properties and foil transfer suitability. Furthermore, by setting the thickness of the antenna conductive portion 123 to 15 nm to 50 nm, the transmittance of UV light is increased, allowing the use of a UV-curing resin that hardens upon UV irradiation in the adhesive layer 122, and enabling bonding of the antenna conductive portion 123 and the substrate layer 121 without heating, which is even more preferable.

[0055] In this embodiment, the first terminal portion 123c and the second terminal portion 123d are provided on the body sealing portion 111. As a result, when the packaging container 1 is formed, the RFIC element 150 is not exposed when viewed from the outside, and the aesthetic design of the exterior is not compromised.

[0056] The release layer 124 is laminated on the antenna conductive portion 123 in the region where the antenna conductive portion 123 is provided, and is peelable. In the peeling process described later, in order to facilitate the peeling of the release sheet 131, the release layer 124 is laminated between the release sheet 131 and the antenna conductive portion 123 in the state of the transfer sheet 130. The release layer 124 can be formed using a methacrylic resin, a modified acrylic resin, etc. The thickness of the release layer 124 is preferably 10 μm or less for electrical properties. Furthermore, if it is 0.1 μm or more, the release layer 124 will not be partially missing, and a stable layer can be formed. The presence of the release layer 124 makes it possible to manufacture the antenna conductive portion 123 by transfer.

[0057] Next, a manufacturing method will be described for the case in which adhesive varnish is used for the adhesive layer 122 of the blank plate 100 of this embodiment. First, I will explain the manufacturing method of the blank plate 100. Figures 7A to 7G show the manufacturing process of the blank plate 100. Figure 5 shows the state after the lamination of the antenna conductive part 123 is completed, and Figure 7G is a cross-sectional view at the cross-sectional position GG shown in Figure 5. Figures 7A to 7F are drawings preceding Figure 7G, and are cross-sectional views cut at the cross-sectional position GG shown in Figure 5.

[0058] The shape of the antenna conductive portion 123 and the shape of the adhesive layer 122 are substantially the same. Therefore, the first adhesive layer region 122a and the first antenna conductive portion 123a are substantially the same shape, and the second adhesive layer region 122b and the second antenna conductive portion 123b are substantially the same shape.

[0059] In reality, the manufacturing process for the blank plate 100 involves continuously producing blanks using a long base material layer 121 as the raw material, along with a relief printing press 2 or a long transfer sheet 130. However, for the sake of easier understanding, this explanation will use a diagram showing the blank plate in a flat shape.

[0060] First, an adhesive is printed to form an adhesive layer 122 on one side of the base layer 121 (Figures 7A to 7C) (adhesive layer printing process). More specifically, an adhesive is printed to form an adhesive layer 122 on one side of the base layer 121 by flexographic printing using a resin relief plate 2. UV-curing varnish may be used as the adhesive. In this embodiment, FD IF Adhesive 1 manufactured by Toyo Ink Co., Ltd. was used as the adhesive.

[0061] Flexographic printing is a type of relief printing in which, as shown in Figures 7A and 7B, an uncured adhesive is placed on a relief plate 2, and this adhesive is pressed onto the surface of the substrate layer 121. At this time, a marginal zone 122m, described later, is formed at the edge of the relief plate 2. The marginal zone 122m remains even after the relief plate 2 is separated from the substrate layer 121. In the example shown in Figures 7B and 7C, the marginal zone 122m is formed at the end of the portion where the first adhesive layer region 122a and the second adhesive layer region 122b face each other.

[0062] Next, a conductive layer lamination process is performed in which the antenna conductive part 123 is laminated onto the adhesive layer 122 while the adhesive forming the adhesive layer 122 is still in an uncured state. Specifically, a transfer sheet 130 is prepared in which a release sheet 131, a release layer 124, and the antenna conductive part 123 are laminated in that order. Then, the transfer sheet 130 is laminated in a direction in which the antenna conductive part 123 and the adhesive layer 122 are in contact (Figure 7D).

[0063] With the antenna conductive part 123 and the adhesive layer 122 in contact, the adhesive layer 122 is cured (Figure 7E). In this embodiment, since a UV-curing varnish is used for the adhesive layer 122, ultraviolet light is irradiated from the transfer sheet 130 side. The ultraviolet light penetrates the transfer sheet 130 and reaches the adhesive layer 122, curing the adhesive layer 122. In this embodiment, an example in which the adhesive layer 122 is cured by ultraviolet light has been described, but the adhesive layer 122 may also be cured by drying, polymerization, or by EB, etc.

[0064] After the adhesive layer 122 has hardened, a peeling process is performed to remove the release sheet 131 (Figure 7F). At this time, the antenna conductive part 123 remains on the substrate layer 121 side because it is bonded to the adhesive layer 122. Also, the antenna conductive part 123 is laminated with the release sheet 131 via the release layer 124, and the bonding force between the release layer 124 and the antenna conductive part 123 is stronger than the bonding force between the release layer 124 and the release sheet 131, so the release layer 124 remains on top of the antenna conductive part 123 (Figure 7G). By performing the peeling process, the antenna conductive portion 123 is torn off at the edge of the portion where the first adhesive layer region 122a and the second adhesive layer region 122b face each other (marginal zone 122m), thereby forming the first antenna conductive portion 123a and the second antenna conductive portion 123b.

[0065] In this embodiment, an adhesive layer 122 (first adhesive layer region 122a and second adhesive layer region 122b) was formed using flexographic printing as described above, and the antenna conductive portion 123 (first antenna conductive portion 123a and second antenna conductive portion 123b) was formed by transferring the antenna conductive portion 123 onto it. With this manufacturing method, in this embodiment, the antenna characteristics of the antenna conductive portion 123 can be improved.

[0066] In this embodiment, the antenna formed by the first antenna conductive portion 123a and the second antenna conductive portion 123b has a slit structure that forms an elongated groove-shaped gap portion 126. When the direction substantially parallel to the slit (gap portion 126) of this antenna is defined as the parallel direction, and the direction substantially perpendicular to the slit is defined as the orthogonal direction, the width of the marginal zone along the parallel direction is smaller than the width of the marginal zone along the orthogonal direction. This is a characteristic that arises from printing the adhesive layer along the parallel direction.

[0067] By making the width of the marginal zone parallel to the slit smaller than the width perpendicular to the slit, the first antenna conductive part 123a and the second antenna conductive part 123b are less likely to come into partial proximity. As a result, unwanted parasitic capacitance formed between the first antenna conductive part 123a and the second antenna conductive part 123b is reduced, further improving the antenna characteristics. Furthermore, the width of the marginal zone mentioned above originally indicates the dimensional difference between the shape of the relief plate 2 and the formed antenna conductive portion 123, but for simplicity, it can be substituted with the line edge roughness (width of the undulation) of the edge of the antenna conductive portion 123.

[0068] The transfer method described above is also called cold stamping, and it performs the transfer without heating. Another transfer method that differs from cold stamping is hot stamping, which involves heating, and either method can be selected. However, with hot stamping, the heat and pressure during processing can form fine cracks in the antenna conductive part 123, which may impair reading accuracy due to changes in resistance. Therefore, cold stamping is preferable.

[0069] Furthermore, even with cold stamping, using flexographic printing for printing the adhesive layer 122 is important for the antenna characteristics of the antenna conductive part 123 to be good. In addition to flexographic printing, other methods such as offset printing and inkjet printing can be used for printing cold stamps. However, if the adhesive layer 122 is printed using other printing methods such as offset printing or inkjet printing, the adhesive layer 122 cannot be applied uniformly and stably over a wide area. As a result, the transferred antenna conductive part 123 will have many minute pinholes, and many minute cracks will occur that connect the pinholes. The presence of pinholes and cracks will change the resistance value of the antenna conductive part 123 that forms the antenna, making it impossible to satisfy the desired characteristics as an antenna. Also, in the conductive layer lamination process that follows flexographic printing, the pressure can be reduced, so the risk of damaging the antenna conductive part 123 is reduced. For this reason, it is desirable to use flexographic printing for printing the adhesive layer 122.

[0070] When flexographic printing is used to print the adhesive layer 122, a marginal zone 122m is formed in a part of the outer periphery. The marginal zone 122m is a characteristic region that occurs as a result of relief printing. The marginal zone 122m is slightly thicker (for example, about 1 μm to 2 μm) and raised compared to other areas of the adhesive layer 122. Also, the inner part of the marginal zone 122m is often formed to be slightly thinner, as shown in Figure 5G. Even after the blank plate 100 and the packaging container 1 are completed, this marginal zone 122m may be transferred to the antenna conductive part 123 and the release layer 124 on top of the marginal zone 122m, roughly following the shape of the marginal zone 122m, and its presence can be easily confirmed by observing it with a magnifying glass or the like.

[0071] Figure 4 shows the blank plate 100 before the element housing recess 112 is processed. Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the upper part of the body-covering portion 111 of the blank plate 100. The element housing recess 112 is not provided, and a first antenna conductive portion 123a and a second antenna conductive portion 123b are provided. On the first antenna conductive portion 123a, a first terminal portion 123c is provided on the side of the second antenna conductive portion 123b. On the second antenna conductive portion 123b, a second terminal portion 123d is provided on the side of the second antenna conductive portion 123b. A gap portion 126 is provided between the first terminal portion 123c and the second terminal portion 123d, and no antenna conductive portion 123 is present in this region.

[0072] After the blank plate 100 is completed, the element housing recess 112 is formed. A male mold having a convex shape and a female mold having a concave shape, which have been prepared in advance, are used to sandwich a predetermined part of the body-glued portion 111 of the blank plate 100, thereby forming the element housing recess 112 and producing a recessed blank plate 160. Approximately in the center of the element housing recess 112 in the vertical direction, there is a transverse gap 126, and on both sides of the gap 126, there is the first terminal portion 123c of the first antenna conductive portion 123a and the second terminal portion 123d of the second antenna conductive portion 123b.

[0073] Next, the RFIC element-equipped blank plate 170 is completed by connecting and fixing the terminal portion of the RFIC element 150 to the first terminal portion 123c and the second terminal portion 123d using a conductive adhesive or the like. In this embodiment, the RFIC element 150 includes an impedance matching circuit.

[0074] Finally, by folding each fold line at the designated position and gluing the body adhesive portion 111 to the inner surface of the right side panel 102, and closing the top lid portion 105 and the bottom lid portion 106, the packaging container 1 shown in Figure 1 is completed.

[0075] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a blank plate 170 with an RFIC element equipped with an antenna having good antenna characteristics, and a packaging container 1. Furthermore, according to the manufacturing method described above, RFIC element-equipped blank plates 170 and packaging containers 1 can be manufactured inexpensively and stably using conventional printing equipment. Furthermore, since the RFIC element 150 is directly mounted on the packaging container 1, there is no need to prepare an IC tag separately from the packaging container or to attach the IC tag to the packaging container. Furthermore, because it is difficult to separate the RFIC element 150 from the packaging container 1, there is little risk of the IC tag falling off during product distribution or in-store display, or of malicious third parties replacing or counterfeiting it.

[0076] Furthermore, since the RFIC element 150 is installed in the packaging container 1 in a manner that makes it difficult to see from the outside, the aesthetic design of the outside of the packaging container 1 is not compromised. Furthermore, since the RFIC element 150 is not exposed on the inner surface of the packaging container 1, the contents and the RFIC element 150 do not interfere with each other. Therefore, the RFIC element 150 is less likely to be damaged.

[0077] The embodiments described above are not limited to those described above, and various modifications and changes are possible, which are also within the scope of this disclosure.

[0078] In the embodiments, a rectangular parallelepiped packaging container was used as an example, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, a polygonal prism-shaped packaging container with a base of another polygon, such as a triangular prism or a pentagonal prism, may also be used. Alternatively, a cylindrical or elliptical prism-shaped packaging container may also be used. Furthermore, the shape of the packaging container is not limited to the above, and may be a more complex shape, such as a quadrilateral pyramidal shape or a cone shape. Any shape that can be constructed by assembling a sheet-like base material is acceptable.

[0079] In this embodiment, the laminated sheet of the blank plate 100 may be a packaging container with a base layer 121 as the base layer. Here, a packaging container refers to a packaging container in which the weight of paper accounts for 50% or more of the total weight of the container. Alternatively, it may be a packaging container that contains paper, but in which the weight of paper is less than 50%. Furthermore, the base material layer may be a single or multi-layered sheet of something other than paper, such as a synthetic resin sheet, and thin paper may be laminated to give it a paper-like appearance. Also, the laminated sheet of the blank plate 100 does not have to contain paper.

[0080] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1 Packaging container 100 blank plates 101 Front Panel 102 Right side panel 103 Rear Panel 104 Left side panel 105 Top lid 105a Top panel 105b Upper insert piece 106 Lower lid part 106a Bottom panel 106b Lower insert piece 107 Upper right flap section 108 Lower right flap section 109 Upper left flap section 110 Lower left flap section 111 Body lining 112 Element housing recess 112a Edge of the base 112b Upper edge 112c side 121 Base material layer 122 Adhesive layer 122a First adhesive layer area 122b Second adhesive layer area 122m Marginal Zone 123 Antenna conductive part 123a First antenna conductive part 123b Second antenna conductive part 123c First terminal section 123d Second terminal section 124 Exfoliation layer 126 Gap 130 Transfer Sheets 131 Release sheet 150 RFIC elements 160 Recessed blank plate 170 RFIC element blank plate A Enlarged section BB cross section position F Enlarged section GG cross section position W1 Width of the bottom surface of the element housing recess Width of the upper surface of the W2 element housing recess W3 RFIC element width Depth of the recess for housing the D1 element D2 RFIC element height θ is the angle formed between the surface of the barrel-shaped section and the recessed area for housing the element.

Claims

1. In a blank plate with RFIC elements for a packaging container, in which at least one blank plate is assembled three-dimensionally, The packaging container has a body section that is joined together to form a cylindrical shape, The aforementioned barrel-shaped section is equipped with an RFIC element and an antenna conductive section. The aforementioned barrel extension is provided with a recess for housing the element, The RFIC element is housed in the element housing recess, In the region of the antenna conductive portion, the layer structure of the blank plate is such that at least a base material layer, an adhesive layer laminated on one side of the base material layer, and the antenna conductive portion are laminated in this order. The antenna conductive part comprises a first antenna conductive part and a second antenna conductive part that are electrically isolated from each other. A blank plate with an RFIC element for a packaging container, wherein the first antenna conductive portion and the second antenna conductive portion are positioned close together in the region of the element housing recess, and an RFIC element is arranged therein, in which the first antenna conductive portion and the second antenna conductive portion are directly or capacitively coupled.

2. A blank plate with an RFIC element for a packaging container according to claim 1, wherein, when viewed from the surface side, the width W1 of the edges of the pair of bottom portions located in the element housing recess is greater than the width W2 of the bottom portion of the RFIC element by 0.5 mm or more and 3 mm or less.

3. A blank plate with an RFIC element for a packaging container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the depth D1 of the element housing recess is such that the lower limit is 0.1 mm less than the height D2 of the RFIC element and the upper limit is 1 mm greater than the height D2 of the RFIC element.

4. A blank plate with an RFIC element for a packaging container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the antenna conductive portion is provided so as to straddle the body-binding portion and the panel adjacent to the body-binding portion.

5. A blank plate with an RFIC element for a packaging container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the thickness of the antenna conductive portion is 15 nm or more and 100 nm or less.

6. The RFIC element is an RFIC element including an impedance matching circuit, as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, a blank plate with an RFIC element for a packaging container.

7. A packaging container assembled from a blank plate with an RFIC element for packaging containers according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A method for manufacturing a blank plate with an RFIC element for a packaging container according to claim 1-6, An adhesive layer printing step of printing the adhesive layer onto the substrate layer, An antenna conductive portion lamination step is to laminate the antenna conductive portion, which is laminated on a release sheet via a release layer, onto the adhesive layer, The steps include curing or drying the adhesive layer, A peeling step of peeling off the aforementioned release sheet, The laminated sheets produced in each of the above processes are punched out into a predetermined shape in a punching process, The process involves providing an element housing recess in the blank plate produced in the punching process, A method for manufacturing a blank plate with an RFIC element for a packaging container, comprising the step of arranging an RFIC element in the element housing recess.

9. A method for manufacturing a blank plate for a packaging container according to claim 1-6, An antenna conductive part lamination step is to laminate the antenna conductive part and the adhesive layer, which are laminated on a release sheet with a release layer in between, onto the base material layer, A peeling step of peeling off the aforementioned release sheet, The laminated sheets produced in each of the above processes are punched out into a predetermined shape in a punching process, The process involves providing an element housing recess in the blank plate produced in the punching process, A method for manufacturing a blank plate with an RFIC element for a packaging container, comprising the step of arranging an RFIC element in the element housing recess.

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