Packaging materials, packaging bodies, and articles with packaging bodies

Abstract

To provide a wrapping material, a wrapping body, and an article with the wrapping body that include an antenna to enable wireless communication and can make the antenna hardly visible from the outside.SOLUTION: In an article 10 with a wrapping body configured so that a film-like wrapping body 2 is wrapped around a body of a bottle 50 filled with a beverage 600 such as a liquid drink and sealed with a cap 52; the wrapping body 2 covering at least part of the article 10 has a base material 6, an antenna 30, a first underlayer 4, and a second underlayer 5 laminated together. The antenna 30, the first underlayer 4, and the second underlayer 5 are all arranged on one surface side of the base material 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to packaging materials, packaging bodies, and articles with packaging bodies that can cover at least a portion of an article and can be used for wireless communication. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, IC tags utilizing RFID technology have been used as a form of contactless short-range communication using radio waves. For example, IC tags are attached to various items and their packaging materials, and these items are then transported, sold, and distributed. In this case, by holding the item over an external device (reader / writer) as needed, the item information recorded on the IC chip of the IC tag can be read via contactless communication, and various information can be written to the IC chip. This enables efficient logistics management.

[0003] An IC tag attached to an item primarily consists of an IC chip and an antenna electrically connected to the IC chip. Predetermined information generated by the IC chip is transmitted to the antenna as a voltage change pattern. This pattern is then converted by the antenna into radio waves or magnetic fields of a predetermined frequency and transmitted to an external device. Conversely, radio waves or magnetic fields of a predetermined frequency transmitted from an external device are received by the antenna, converted into voltage change patterns, and then input into the IC chip as predetermined information. This allows the IC tag attached to the item to communicate wirelessly with an external device directly.

[0004] One method for attaching IC tags to articles is to form an antenna on a base material, then mount an IC chip on the antenna to form a label-like IC tag, and then attach this to the article or container. Alternatively, one method is to pre-print only the antenna portion on the container of the article before assembly, and then mount the IC chip in a predetermined position on the antenna after assembly. Patent Document 1 describes an IC tag fixed to the outer surface of a bottle container via an adhesive layer, with a shrink film wrapped around the outside. The IC tag consists of a base material, an inlet portion comprising an antenna formed on the base material and an IC chip connected to the antenna, and protective materials arranged on the upper and lower surfaces of the inlet portion to protect it.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes a package with an IC tag that is assembled with multiple folded parts to contain an article. Specifically, the package is made of cardboard for packaging having at least two layers, one layer containing a printed antenna pattern and the other layer containing a bonded RFIC element, and the one layer and the other layer are bonded together to form a laminate. This laminate contains an RFIC device in which the RFIC element and the antenna pattern are sandwiched between the one layer and the other layer, and the RFIC element and the antenna pattern are electrically connected. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-49410 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. WO2018 / 216686 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] When placing IC tags in containers for goods, one method is to pre-form an antenna on the outer surface of the container by printing or other means, and then, after the goods are placed in the container, electrically and mechanically connect an IC chip or IC module to a predetermined position on the antenna. This way, if a malfunction occurs in the container during the goods storage process, the IC chip or the like does not need to be attached to the antenna, thus reducing the loss of expensive IC chips and lowering costs. However, if the antenna is easily visible from the outside, it reduces the aesthetic appeal of the container and makes it easier to identify the location of the IC tag, thus reducing security. For this reason, it is preferable to provide a printed layer on the outside of the container that conceals the antenna so that it is difficult to see.

[0008] This disclosure is made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide packaging materials, packaging bodies, and articles with packaging bodies that are equipped with an antenna that enables wireless communication and that makes it difficult to see the antenna from the outside.

[0009] In this embodiment, the packaging covering at least a portion of an article comprises a base material, an antenna and a first underlayer, and a second underlayer, all of which are laminated together, with the antenna and the first underlayer, and the second underlayer, each positioned on one side of the base material.

[0010] Furthermore, in a package according to another form of this embodiment, a printing layer may be further laminated on the side of the second base layer opposite to the antenna or the first base layer.

[0011] Furthermore, in a package according to another form of this embodiment, an IC chip may be electrically connected to the antenna, and the antenna and the IC chip may constitute a communication circuit capable of wireless communication with external devices.

[0012] Furthermore, in a package according to another form of this embodiment, the second underlayer may overlap the entire area of ​​the antenna in a plan view.

[0013] Also, in the package according to another form of the present embodiment, the color difference ΔE * ab between the antenna and the first base layer may be 25 or less.

[0014] Also, in the package according to another form of the present embodiment, the color difference ΔE * ab between the second base layer that overlaps the antenna in plan view and the second base layer that does not overlap the antenna may be 13 or less.

[0015] Also, in the package according to another form of the present embodiment, the surface resistivity values of the first base layer and the second base layer may be 100 times or more the surface resistivity value of the antenna.

[0016] Also, the article with a package according to the present embodiment is such that any of the above packages covers at least a part of the article.

[0017] The packaging material capable of assembling a package provided with an antenna that covers at least a part of an article according to the present embodiment includes a base material, a conductive pattern and a first base layer that constitute the antenna, and a second base layer, which are laminated, and the conductive pattern and the first base layer, and the second base layer are respectively disposed on one surface side of the base material.

Advantages of the Invention

[0018] According to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a packaging material, a package, and an article with a package that are provided with an antenna capable of wireless communication and that make it difficult to visually recognize the antenna from the outside.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram for explaining the structure of the packaging material, the package, and the article with a package of the first embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of the IC tag. [Figure 3] It is an explanatory diagram of the manufacturing method of the packaging material and the package of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a cross-sectional view for explaining the structure of a packaging material and a package according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional view for explaining the structure of a packaging material and a package according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a schematic view for explaining the structure of a packaging material, a package, and an article with a package according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a cross-sectional view for explaining the structure of a packaging material according to the second embodiment and a modified example thereof. [Figure 8] It is a schematic view for explaining the structure of a packaging material, a package, and an article with a package according to a modified example of the second embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, an example of a packaging material, a package, and an article with a package of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings and the like. However, the packaging material and the like of the present disclosure are not limited to the embodiments and examples described below.

[0021] In addition, each of the drawings shown below is schematically shown. Therefore, the size and shape of each part are appropriately exaggerated for easy understanding. Also, in each drawing, the hatching showing the cross-section of the member is appropriately omitted. The numerical values and material names of the dimensions and the like of each member described in this specification are examples as embodiments, and are not limited thereto, and can be appropriately selected and used. In this specification, terms specifying shapes and geometric conditions, such as terms like parallel, orthogonal, and perpendicular, include not only the strictly meant state but also a substantially the same state.

[0022] 1. First Embodiment A first embodiment of the packaging material, packaging, and article with packaging described herein will be explained. Figure 1(a) is a perspective view illustrating an article with packaging 10 in which a film-like packaging 2 is wrapped around the body of a bottle 50 filled with a beverage 600 such as a liquid beverage, and a packaging material 100 in the state before the packaging 2 is wrapped around the bottle 50. Figure 1(b) is a cross-sectional view of the packaging material 100 of Figure 1(a) cut along line AA parallel to the Z-axis direction, viewed from the +X direction. Packaging is a component assembled to cover at least a part of an article, with an antenna formed thereon for functioning as an IC tag, for the protection of the article or to improve the design of the article, and refers to both the state without the IC chip and the state with the IC chip. Packaging material refers to a component obtained by unfolding the packaging before it covers the article in a planar manner.

[0023] In this disclosure, "assembling" means forming the packaging material into a package that covers at least a part of the article, and is not limited to folding the packaging material to assemble it into a box shape, but also includes wrapping a strip of film around a bottle of beverage or the like, as in this embodiment. Furthermore, "packaging" refers to both items that contain an article and items that do not, and in particular to emphasize that the packaging includes an article, it may be referred to as an article with packaging.

[0024] For the sake of explanation, we will set up an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system for the packaging 2. As shown in Figure 1(a), the Z-axis is taken in the vertical direction of the paper along the upright direction of the bottle 50, and the Y-axis is taken in the direction connecting the front and back sides. The X-axis is taken in the left and right directions perpendicular to the Z and Y axes. The direction upward along the Z-axis is defined as the +Z direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -Z direction. The direction along the Z-axis is also simply called the up and down direction. The direction from the front to the back along the Y-axis is defined as the +Y direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -Y direction. The direction along the Y-axis is also simply called the depth direction. Furthermore, the direction from the left to the right along the X-axis is defined as the +X direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -X direction. The direction along the X-axis is also simply called the left and right direction. The configuration of the packaging material 100, the packaging 2, and the article 10 with the packaging according to the first embodiment will be explained below with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

[0025] 1. First Embodiment (a) Composition of the packaging A first embodiment of the packaging material, packaging, and article with packaging described herein will be described. As shown in Figure 1(a), the packaging 2 is a component formed by an antenna 30 for functioning as an IC tag 20 and wrapped around, i.e., assembled to cover at least a portion of the bottle 50, with one of its purposes being to protect the article or to improve the design of the article. The bottle 50 is a bottle body 51 filled with a liquid beverage 600 and sealed with a cap 52. The bottle 50 filled with the beverage 600 is an article. As mentioned above, the packaging 2 can refer to both the state without the IC chip and the state with the IC chip, and may also refer to the article with packaging 10 including the bottle 50 containing the beverage 600.

[0026] The packaging 2 is wrapped in a ring shape around the outer circumference of the cylindrical portion of the bottle 50. Referring to the packaging material 100 after the packaging 2 has been removed from the bottle 50, as shown in Figure 1(b), the packaging material 100 has a structure in which the base material 6, second base layer 5, IC tag 20 and first base layer 4, adhesive layer 7, and protective layer 8 are laminated in this order when viewed from the +Y direction. In Figure 1(a), the second base layer 5, first base layer 4, adhesive layer 7, and protective layer 8 are omitted to make the layer structure of the packaging material 100 easier to understand. Naturally, the packaging 2, with the packaging material 100 wrapped around the bottle 50, has the same layer structure. The IC tag 20 and first base layer 4 are positioned complementaryly to each other, so as to fill the area between the second base layer 5 and the protective layer 8. In other words, in a plan view along the Y-axis, the first subsoil layer 4 is arranged to surround the IC tag 20.

[0027] The IC tag 20 is, for example, mostly a roughly rectangular antenna 30, and the first base layer 4 surrounds it either in contact with the outer contour of the antenna 30 or separated by a very small gap. However, the first base layer 4 does not need to be provided over the entire area so as to coincide with the outer contour of the base material 6 or the second base layer 5, but may be provided only in a part of the area included in the outer contour of the base material 6 or the second base layer 5. Furthermore, the first base layer 4 does not need to be provided to the extent that it completely surrounds the outer contour of the antenna 30 of the IC tag 20, but may be arranged adjacent to a part of the outer contour. In addition, it is preferable that the first base layer 4 is formed in a color similar to the color of the antenna 30.

[0028] Thus, the packaging 2 of this embodiment covers at least a portion of the article, the bottle 50. The packaging 2 has a structure in which a base material 6, an antenna 30 and a first base layer 4, and a second base layer 5 are laminated together. The antenna 30 and the first base layer, and the second base layer are each located on the inner side, which is one side of the base material 6.

[0029] In other words, the packaging body 2 is assembled and formed by wrapping it around the body of the bottle 50 in a ring shape, with its outer surface being the base material 6. As a result, the second base layer 5 for adding design elements to the packaging body 2 and the antenna 30 for contactless communication with external devices as an IC tag 20 are positioned inside the base material 6. Consequently, the printing layer is less likely to be rubbed off, and the antenna 30 and IC chip are less likely to be damaged by external forces, resulting in a high-quality and reliable packaging body 2. However, if the base material 6 is an opaque material such as paper, the second base layer 5 for adding design elements to the packaging body 2 may be placed on the outer surface side of the base material 6, and the antenna 30 may be placed inside the base material 6.

[0030] Furthermore, the first base layer 4 can be arranged so as to be in contact with the outer contour of the antenna 30 constituting the IC tag 20, or to surround it with a very small gap, or to be adjacent to or overlapping with a part of the outer contour. The second base layer 5 is formed on the same side of the base material 6 as the antenna 30 and the first base layer 4. Therefore, compared to the case where the first base layer 4 is not formed, the following advantages are obtained. First, when the packaging 2 is wrapped around the bottle 50, the unevenness caused by the thickness of the antenna 30 is suppressed from becoming apparent on the base material 6, which is the outermost surface of the packaging 2. Also, even if the base material 6 and the second base layer 5 have some degree of visible light transmittance, the presence of the antenna 30 can be made less noticeable. Therefore, these effects suppress the easy visibility of the antenna 30 in the packaging 2.

[0031] (b) Composition of packaging materials Next, the configuration of the packaging material 100 assembled into the packaging body 2 described above will be explained. The packaging material 100 has the layer configuration described above. The base material 6 is a member that supports the conductive pattern 30 formed by printing or the like, and preferably has appropriate flexibility so that the conductive pattern 30, i.e., the antenna 30, is not damaged or disconnected due to deformation caused by external forces, etc. The conductive pattern 30 has the function of becoming an antenna 30 in the assembled packaging body 2 and constituting the IC tag 20 together with the IC chip. However, as is common to other embodiments and modifications described later, this disclosure does not prevent the additional arrangement of other conductive patterns that satisfy a similar relationship to the conductive pattern 30.

[0032] The film-like base material 6 used to cover at least a portion of the bottle 50 is required to have printability and durability to impart identifiable and aesthetic features to the article and maintain them over the long term. Furthermore, some base materials are heat-shrinkable to fit the shape of the article. In addition, the base material 6 is a part that constitutes the outer surface of the packaging 2 wrapped around the bottle 50, and it is preferable that the base material 6 has sufficient transparency to allow the pattern of the second underlayer 5 formed on the inside of the base material 6 by printing or the like to be visible. This is because, by forming the second underlayer 5 with a pattern that imparts aesthetic features to the article on the inside of the base material 6, even if the packaged article is subjected to external forces such as rubbing, the second underlayer 5 is protected by the base material 6, and the deterioration of aesthetic features such as peeling of the print can be suppressed.

[0033] The transparency of the base material 6 is sufficient if it is transparent enough that the pattern of the second underlayer 5 formed on the inside can be seen through the base material 6, and it does not matter whether it is colorless or colored. For example, it is preferable that the transparency of the base material 6 is such that the transmittance to visible light in the wavelength range of 380 nm to 780 nm is 50% or more. This range ensures that the pattern of the second underlayer 5 can be clearly seen even when light is transmitted through the base material 6, thus ensuring high design quality. However, the second underlayer 5 may be provided so as to constitute the outer surface of the packaging 2 wrapped around the bottle 50. In other words, the second underlayer 5 may be placed outside the base material 6. In this case, an opaque material can be used as the base material 6, expanding the range of material selection for the base material 6.

[0034] Examples of such substrates 6 include polyester films, polystyrene films, polyolefin films, polylactic acid films, foamed polyolefin films, polyester-polystyrene co-extruded films, or foamed polystyrene films. Alternatively, a laminated film of a nonwoven fabric and the aforementioned film may be used. Furthermore, paper materials such as fine paper, coated paper, and art paper, as well as synthetic paper and fabric materials, can also be used.

[0035] In particular, when heat shrinkage is required, one or more films selected from the group consisting of stretched polyester films, stretched polystyrene films, stretched polyolefin films, polylactic acid films, foamed polyolefin films, foamed polystyrene films, laminated films of nonwoven fabric and shrinkable film, and stretched polyester-polystyrene co-extruded films are preferred.

[0036] There are no particular restrictions on the thickness of the base material 6, but it can be appropriately selected within a range that does not impair heat resistance, rigidity, mechanical properties, appearance, etc. The thickness of the base material 6 can be, for example, 10 μm or more and 500 μm or less, and preferably 20 μm or more and 200 μm or less. This range ensures appropriate rigidity, flexibility, and heat resistance, and provides good adhesion to the bottle 50.

[0037] The stretched film may be uniaxially stretched or biaxially stretched, and in the case of a uniaxially stretched film, it may be longitudinally uniaxially stretched or transversely uniaxially stretched. Longitudinal uniaxial stretching refers to stretching a long film, which is the original component from which many base materials 6 are cut, in the direction of the flow of the long film. In this case, the longitudinal direction of the base material 6 is usually the width direction of the long film, that is, the direction perpendicular to the flow direction. On the other hand, transverse uniaxial stretching refers to stretching a long film in the width direction. Therefore, in the case of longitudinal uniaxial stretching, the base material 6 shrinks along the short direction, and in the case of transverse uniaxial stretching, it shrinks along the longitudinal direction.

[0038] Furthermore, when the base material 6 is first formed into a cylindrical shape and attached to the bottle 50, and then heat-shrunk, it is preferable to use a transversely uniaxially oriented film. In this case, the base material 6 shrinks along the outer circumference of the bottle 50, allowing the base material 6 to adhere tightly to the bottle 50 while maintaining a good appearance.

[0039] The second underlayer 5 may be formed by offset printing, letterpress printing, gravure printing, or screen printing using known inks, as well as by inkjet printing, electrostatic printing which electrically attaches and fixes the toner to the substrate by positively and negatively charging the substrate and toner, or by selective thermal transfer from an ink ribbon coated with a colorant. The thickness of the second underlayer 5 depends on the type of printing, the viscosity of the ink, the printing speed, etc., but for example, when formed by gravure printing it will be about 0.1 μm to 20 μm, and when formed by screen printing it will be about 10 μm to 500 μm.

[0040] In this embodiment, the second base layer 5 is laminated on the side opposite to the conductive pattern 30, the antenna 30, or the first base layer 4, i.e., the outer surface. With this configuration, the second base layer 5 can be formed on the substrate 6 by printing or the like first, and can be formed with high quality without being affected by the conductive pattern 30 or the first base layer 4. In addition, the second base layer 5 overlaps with almost the entire area of ​​the antenna 30 in a plan view along the Y axis. As a result, the second base layer 5 can reliably conceal the antenna 30, making it difficult to see the presence of the antenna 30.

[0041] The conductive pattern 30 is a portion of the IC tag 20 where a predetermined pattern for transmitting and receiving radio waves, etc., is formed from a conductive material, serving as the antenna 30 of the IC tag 20. In this embodiment, the antenna 30 forms a pair of left and right dipole antennas so that radio waves can be transmitted and received in the UHF band such as 920 MHz. However, the antenna shape is not limited to a dipole antenna; for example, it may be a monopole antenna, or a loop antenna depending on the communication specifications. Furthermore, the shape of the dipole antenna or monopole antenna is not limited to a straight or rectangular shape, but may be any shape such as a spiral or meander shape.

[0042] The conductive pattern 30 constituting such an antenna 30 can be formed, for example, by printing a conductive ink or conductive paste on one surface of a substrate 6. The conductive ink or conductive paste can be obtained, for example, by dispersing silver-based conductive particles in a binder resin or solvent. While silver-based conductive particles are preferred, they are not limited to silver; metal powders such as nickel, gold, copper, and platinum, or conductive carbon or composites or alloys thereof may also be used. The conductive ink or conductive paste can be printed using screen printing, flexographic printing, gravure printing, offset printing, etc., using a mesh plate, and inkjet printing is also possible depending on the viscosity. When forming an antenna by printing, the film thickness depends on the type of printing, the viscosity of the ink, the printing speed, etc., but for example, when formed by gravure printing, it will be about 0.1 μm to 20 μm, and when formed by screen printing, it will be about 10 μm to 500 μm.

[0043] In addition, the conductive pattern constituting the antenna can also be formed by other methods, such as attaching a die-cut metal foil to the substrate 6 via an adhesive, or by applying an adhesive to a thin metal foil and then pressing a hot stamp of a predetermined shape onto it to heat-transfer it to the substrate 6. However, since the substrate 6 used as packaging material is often wound up after the second underlayer 5 is printed and formed at high speed using a gravure printing machine or the like, it is more preferable to form the conductive pattern using a printing method that can form the conductive pattern at high speed and at low cost.

[0044] When forming a dipole antenna, if the antenna 30 is formed substantially symmetrically with respect to the IC chip, the electrical length of one side of the antenna is preferably at least 75 mm, which is 1 / 4 of the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave being communicated. For example, in the packaging material 100 of Figure 1(a), the antenna 30 constituting the IC tag 20 has a substantially rectangular outer contour with longitudinal directions to the left and right, centered on the IC module 500 that encloses the IC chip. The width of this contour along the vertical direction, i.e., the Z-axis direction, is ha, and the width along the horizontal direction, i.e., the X-axis direction, is wa. In this case, it is preferable that wa / 2, which is half the length of the antenna 30 in the horizontal direction with respect to the IC chip, is approximately 75 mm or more.

[0045] This allows the antenna 30 as a whole to form a half-wavelength dipole antenna suitable for contactless communication. While the antennas 30 may be arranged in a straight line, in this case, although communication sensitivity in a specific direction increases, the directivity tends to narrow. Therefore, to suppress fluctuations in communication sensitivity due to the influence of the positional relationship with external equipment when assembled in the packaging 2, and the electromagnetic shielding or absorption properties of the stored items, it is desirable to arrange the antennas along multiple directions as much as possible.

[0046] Here, the IC module 500 is mounted on the antenna 30 or the conductive pattern 30 constituting it, which is formed on one side of the base material 6 via the second underlayer 5, either before assembling the packaging material 100 to form the package 2, or after assembling the packaging material 100 to form the package 2. As a result, at least two pads, which are the electrical connection terminals of the IC chip, are electrically connected to opposing parts of the antenna 30 that are opposite each other. This enables the IC tag 20 to perform predetermined contactless communication with external devices. Incidentally, the open ends of the dipole antenna at this time are the first end 31a, which is the +X direction end of the antenna 30, and the second end 31b, which is the -X direction end.

[0047] The antenna 30, together with the IC chip, constitutes an IC tag and needs to have adequate conductivity to exhibit good wireless communication characteristics. The surface resistivity of the antenna 30, excluding the insulating coating, is preferably 10 Ω / □ (ohms per square) or less, and more preferably 2 Ω / □ or less. A surface resistivity within the former range allows for both good wireless communication and an expanded range of material selection, while a surface resistivity within the latter range ensures even better communication sensitivity and communication distance. Here, the definition of surface resistivity shall be based on JIS K6911.

[0048] Incidentally, there are mainly four possible methods for mounting the IC module 500 across opposing parts of the antenna 30, and for the configuration around the IC module 500 in that case. Figures 2(a) to 2(d) are schematic diagrams illustrating these methods. The IC tag 20j shown in Figure 2(a) is a simplified version of the IC tag 20 in this embodiment for the sake of clarity, and its antenna configuration and other details differ from those of the IC tag 20. The same applies to the IC tags 20m, 20k, and 20n shown in Figures 2(b) and later.

[0049] The IC tag 20j is provided with a loop circuit 520 that branches from two points on the antenna 30j formed on the base material 110, with each tip electrically connected to the IC chip 510 to form a closed circuit as a whole. This is intended to function as a matching circuit that ensures conjugate matching of the impedance of the antenna structure composed of the IC chip 510, antenna 30j, and loop circuit 520.

[0050] The IC module 500, which is the IC chip 510 itself, is mounted so as to straddle the opposing ends of the loop circuit 520, which are spaced apart from each other. In this case, the first pad 510a and the second pad 510b, which are the electrical connection terminals of the IC chip 510, are directly and electrically joined to the opposing ends 520a and 520b of the loop circuit 520, which are spaced apart from each other. As for the method of electrical joining, for example, gold or lead bumps are formed in advance on the first and second pads of the IC chip 510. Then, the IC chip 510 is joined to the antenna by applying heat and pressure via ACF (anisotropic conductive film) or ACP (anisotropic conductive paste).

[0051] On the other hand, the IC tag 20m has an IC module 500, which is the IC chip 510 itself, directly mounted across a first portion 30m formed on the base material 110 and a second portion 40m positioned opposite and spaced apart from it. In this case, the first pad 510a and the second pad 510b, which are the electrical connection terminals of the IC chip 510, are directly and electrically connected to the opposing portion 30ma, which is the end of the first portion 30m, and the opposing portion 40ma, which is the end of the second portion 40m, respectively. Similar to the IC tag 20j, the IC tag 20m is provided with a loop circuit 520 that branches off from each of the first portion 30m and the second portion 40m to form a closed circuit. Its purpose is the same as that of the loop circuit 520 in the IC tag 20j.

[0052] Furthermore, the IC tag 20k is arranged such that a first element 30k, which is an antenna continuously formed on the substrate 110, and a part of a loop circuit 520 formed on the substrate 120 and on which an IC chip 510 is mounted, overlap each other. The loop circuit 520, the substrate 120 supporting it, and the IC chip 510 form a closed circuit, forming an IC module 500 that can become a small IC tag capable of predetermined contactless communication with external devices.

[0053] The IC chip 510 is mounted so as to span the opposing ends 520a and 520b of the loop circuit 520, which are spaced apart from each other. The linear second element 30l, which is part of the loop circuit 520, superimposes with the first element 30k in a plan view. As a result, the IC tag 20k is capacitively coupled with the first element 30k and the second element 30l, and can function as an IC tag, similar to the IC tag 20j. However, the first element 30k and the second element 30l do not necessarily have to superimpose in a plan view; even in this case, a certain level of capacitive coupling is possible by their proximity to each other.

[0054] In Figure 2(c), a base material 120 equipped with a loop circuit 520 on which an IC module 500 is mounted is placed on the front side of the paper, superimposed on a base material 110 equipped with a first element 30k. However, base material 120 may be placed on the back side of the paper relative to base material 110. Alternatively, the front and back sides of base material 120 may be reversed so that the IC module 500 and loop circuit 520 face the first element 30k, and both base materials 110 and base material 120 are placed on top of each other.

[0055] Furthermore, the IC tag 20n has an IC module 500 in which an IC chip 510 is directly mounted, spanning a second element 30o which is part of a first portion 30m formed on the substrate 120 and a second element 40o which is part of a second portion 40m. The loop circuit 520, the linear second elements 30o and 40o, the substrate 120 supporting them, and the IC chip 510 form a closed circuit, forming an IC module 500 that can become a small IC tag capable of predetermined contactless communication with external devices.

[0056] At this time, the first pad 510a and the second pad 510b, which are the electrical connection terminals of the IC chip 510, are directly and electrically connected to the opposing portion 30oa of the second element 30o of the first portion 30m and the opposing portion 40oa of the second element 40o of the second portion 40m, respectively. Such an IC module 500 is mounted on the substrate 110 so as to span across the ends of the first element 30n, which is part of the first portion 30m, and the ends of the first element 40n, which is part of the second portion 40m, which are formed on the substrate 110 and are spaced a certain distance apart from each other. The role of the loop circuit 520 is the same as that of other IC tags.

[0057] Here, the ends of the second element 30o and the first element 30n of the first part 30m of the IC module 500 overlap, and similarly, the ends of the second element 40o and the first element 40n of the second part 40m of the IC module 500 overlap. As a result, the second element 30o and the first element 30n are capacitively coupled, and the second element 40o and the first element 40n are also capacitively coupled, and the whole unit functions well as an IC tag 20n.

[0058] IC tags 20j and 20m have a simple structure because the IC chip 510 is the IC module 500 itself, which reduces the manufacturing burden of packaging materials and packaging bodies, and if yield is not considered, these can be manufactured at a lower cost. On the other hand, IC tags 20k and 20n are more complex to manufacture than the former because the IC module 500, which consists of a base material, IC chip, and part of the antenna, is prepared separately. However, compared to the positional accuracy of the small pads on the IC chip 510, the positional accuracy of the IC module 500 required for capacitive coupling of the antenna can be set to be much more lenient, which can lead to improved yield and processing speed when mounting the IC module 500 onto the base material 110.

[0059] The first underlayer 4 may be formed by offset printing, letterpress printing, gravure printing, or screen printing using known inks, similar to the second underlayer 5 described above. Alternatively, it may be formed by inkjet printing, electrostatic printing which electrically attaches and fixes the toner to the substrate by positively and negatively charging the substrate and toner, or by selective thermal transfer from an ink ribbon coated with a colorant. When the first underlayer 4 is formed by the gravure printing method, similar to the second underlayer 5, a known gravure ink can be used that contains pigments, resins, additives, etc., which are film-forming elements, dispersed in a solvent. The pigment acts as a colorant, and can be either an organic or inorganic pigment. Examples of organic pigments include azo pigments such as soluble azo (azo lake), insoluble azo, and condensed azo, as well as polycyclic pigments such as phthalocyanine, dioxazine, isoindolinone, and slene. Examples of inorganic pigments include oxides, sulfates, carbonates, silicates, metal powders, carbon black, and pearl pigments.

[0060] Furthermore, resins that affect gravure printing suitability, processability, and adhesion to the substrate include, for example, chlorinated polypropylene, urethane, polyamide, vinyl chloride, and acrylic resins. In particular, when the substrate 6 is made of paper, rosin, rubber, and petroleum resins can be used. In addition, additives to improve performance during gravure printing include, for example, low molecular weight polyethylene, fluorine-based waxes, and fatty acid amides for the purpose of reinforcing the film, and plasticizers for the purpose of plasticizing the film. Surfactants and low molecular weight dispersants for the purpose of pigment dispersion, and antistatic agents, defoamers, and antioxidants for other purposes can also be used.

[0061] Furthermore, the first underlayer 4 may have the same material composition as the conductive pattern 30 that constitutes the antenna 30 of the IC tag 20, as described above, with only the ratio of conductive particles contained reduced to an extent that does not hinder the operation of the IC tag 20.

[0062] The first base layer 4 needs to minimize its impact on the operation of the IC tag 20 by avoiding unintended capacitive coupling with the adjacent antenna 30. On the other hand, if the gap between the first base layer 4 and the adjacent antenna 30 becomes large, the antenna 30 becomes easier to see and identify from the outside, so it is advantageous to make the gap as small as possible.

[0063] Therefore, the surface resistivity of the first base layer 4 is preferably 1 kΩ / □ or more, and more preferably 10 kΩ / □ or more. Having the surface resistivity of the first base layer 4 within the former range reduces unintended capacitive coupling with adjacent antennas 30, enabling good wireless communication of the IC tag 20. Furthermore, having the surface resistivity of the first base layer 4 within the latter range suppresses the effects of unintended capacitive coupling caused by the first base layer 4, even if a portion of the first base layer 4 overlaps with the antenna 30 due to misalignment of the first base layer 4. Moreover, the flexibility of the layout of the first base layer 4 is increased, allowing for a relaxation of the acceptable positional accuracy.

[0064] Furthermore, the surface resistivity conditions of the first and second substrate layers 4 and 5 may be correlated with the surface resistivity of the antenna 30. For example, it is preferable that the surface resistivity values ​​of the first and second substrate layers 4 and 5 are greater than those of the antenna 30, and it is even more preferable that the surface resistivity values ​​of the first and second substrate layers 4 and 5 are 100 times or more than the surface resistivity value of the antenna. The former condition makes the first and second substrate layers 4 and 5 more conductive than the antenna 30, suppressing adverse effects on wireless communication as part of the circuit of the IC tag 20. The latter condition allows for a clear difference in the degree of conductivity between the first and second substrate layers 4 and 5 and the antenna 30, regardless of the degree of conductivity of the antenna 30, making it easy to determine the specifications of the first and second substrate layers 4 and 5 according to the electrical characteristics of the IC tag 20.

[0065] On the one hand, since the first underlayer 4 has the purpose of camouflaging the presence of the antenna 30 of the IC tag 20 and the like, it is preferable that the color of the first underlayer 4 in appearance approximates the color of the antenna 30. That is, it is necessary to select the pigment of the printing ink used for the first underlayer 4 so as to approximate the color of the antenna 30. Generally, when the antenna 30 uses copper particles as a pigment component or conductive particles in which metal particles or resin particles are coated with copper as a pigment component, the color after drying of the ink becomes brown. Also, when the antenna 30 uses silver particles as a pigment component or conductive particles in which metal particles or resin particles are coated with silver as a pigment component, the color after drying of the ink becomes silver.

[0066] Based on these, it is preferable to select a coloring pigment for the first underlayer 4 that approximates the color of the antenna 30. For example, pigments of the brown color system or pigments of the gray color system can be used. Furthermore, in order to achieve color approximation including the glossiness of the antenna 30, for example, an appropriate amount of aluminum powder or pearl pigment may be mixed. In this way, the color difference ΔE * ab of the first underlayer 4 and the antenna 30 is preferably 25 or less, and the color difference ΔE * ab is more preferably 13 or less.

[0067] Furthermore, in a plan view along the Y-axis, the color difference ΔE * ab between the surface of the second underlayer 5 that overlaps with the antenna 30 and the surface of the second underlayer 5 that does not overlap with the antenna 30 is preferably 13 or less, and the color difference ΔE * ab is more preferably 6.5 or less. In the present embodiment, since the second underlayer 5 is visible through the base material 6, the color difference may be measured under the condition of visual recognition from the outside of the base material 6. These color differences can be, for example, ΔE * a * b * in the color difference ΔE * ab in the L*a*b* color system defined in 7.1.1 of JIS Z8730 (2009).

[0068] If the color difference on the surface of the second base layer 5 falls within the former range, the likelihood of recognizing the first base layer 4 and the antenna 30 as being within the same color range increases, and a camouflage effect of the first base layer 4 on the antenna 30 is achieved. Furthermore, if the color difference on the surface of the second base layer 5 falls within the latter range, even if there is a small gap between the first base layer 4 and the antenna 30, there is a high probability that the two will be perceived as the same object. Therefore, while maintaining the camouflage effect of the first base layer 4 on the antenna 30, the flexibility of the layout of the first base layer 4 can be increased, and the acceptable positional accuracy can be relaxed. The same can be said for the former and latter conditions of the color difference between the first base layer 4 and the antenna 30.

[0069] Furthermore, the color of the second underlayer 5 may be deliberately selected to be different from the color of the first underlayer 4. For example, by selecting the second underlayer 5 so that the total visible light transmittance, including interfacial reflection, is 10% or less, the opacity effect can be further enhanced. In particular, it is preferable to use a glossy ink such as a silver or gold ink that contains aluminum powder or pearl pigment as part of the pigment for the second underlayer 5. By using such a second underlayer 5, the possibility of the first underlayer 4 and the antenna 30 being visible through it can be further reduced. In addition, a printed layer of a color that easily allows the inner surface to show through, such as white or yellow, can be easily provided on the outer surface of such a second underlayer 5.

[0070] Furthermore, if the first sublayer 4 overlaps with the antenna 30, even if the color difference between the first sublayer 4 and the antenna 30 when they are not overlapping does not satisfy the above conditions, it is sufficient if the following condition is satisfied: that is, the color difference △E between the region of the first sublayer 4 overlapping with the antenna 30 and the region of the first sublayer 4 not overlapping with the antenna 30. * ab must be 25 or less, and the color difference △E * It is even more preferable that ab is 13 or less. This is because, when the first sublayer 4 overlaps with the antenna 30 so as to cover the entire area of ​​the antenna 30, the identifiability of the antenna 30 as seen from the outside is related to the identifiability of the first sublayer 4 in the area that overlaps with the antenna 30 and the identifiability of the first sublayer 4 in the area that does not overlap with the antenna 30.

[0071] If the color difference falls within the former range, the likelihood of recognizing the first underlayer 4 in the area not overlapping with the antenna 30 and the first underlayer 4 in the area overlapping with the antenna 30 as being within the same color range increases, thus achieving a camouflage effect of the antenna 30 by the first underlayer 4. Furthermore, even if the relative positions of the antenna 30 and the first underlayer 4 shift, the visual effect is not affected, allowing for greater flexibility in the layout of the first underlayer 4 and an expansion of the acceptable positional accuracy. If the color difference falls within the latter range, the above-mentioned effects can be further enhanced.

[0072] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 1(a), the vertical width of the outer contour of the antenna 30 is defined as ha, and the vertical gap between adjacent first base layers 4 and antennas 30 is defined as dha. In this case, the value of dha is preferably 10% or less of the value of ha, and more preferably 5% or less. By having a dha value within the former range, even if there is some misalignment of the first base layer 4, the overlapping of the first base layer 4 with the antenna 30 is suppressed, thereby reducing the aesthetic appeal, such as differences in glossiness due to the overlapping of the two, while expanding the flexibility of the layout of the first base layer 4 and the allowable positional accuracy. Furthermore, by having a dha value within the latter range, the possibility of the first base layer 4 and antenna 30 being perceived as a unified unit increases, ensuring high aesthetic appeal.

[0073] The same applies when wa is the width of the outer contour of the antenna 30 in the left-right direction, and dwa is the gap between adjacent first underlayers 4 and the antenna 30 in the left-right direction. That is, the value of dwa is preferably 10% or less of the value of wa, and more preferably 5% or less. The reason for this is as described above. The film thickness of the first underlayer 4 depends on the type of printing, the viscosity of the ink, the printing speed, etc., but for example, when formed by gravure printing, it is about 0.1 μm or more and 20 μm or less, and when formed by screen printing, it is about 10 μm or more and 500 μm or less.

[0074] The thickness of the first underlayer 4 is preferably approximated to the thickness of the antenna 30. For example, the thickness of the first underlayer 4 is preferably 50% to 150% of the thickness of the antenna 30. By keeping it within this range, the difference in thickness between the first underlayer 4 and the antenna 30 remains within a certain limit, making it difficult to distinguish between the two visually, including the difference in glossiness when the package 2 is observed at an angle from the outside. This effectively camouflages the presence of the antenna 30 and other elements with the first underlayer 4.

[0075] In this embodiment, when viewed in plan along the Y-axis, the antenna 30 and the first underlayment 4 do not overlap each other. The first underlayment 4 is positioned so as to be in contact with the outer contour of the antenna 30, or adjacent to the antenna 30, or surrounding it, separated by a minute gap. This suppresses the reduction in aesthetic appeal, such as changes in gloss, caused by an increase in film thickness due to the overlapping of the antenna 30 and the first underlayment 4, i.e., the creation of steps. Furthermore, it suppresses the identification of the presence and position of the antenna 30 due to changes in gloss caused by such steps.

[0076] However, this disclosure is not limited to this, and the antenna 30 and the first base layer 4 may partially overlap each other, or the first base layer 4 may be arranged in the entire area including the antenna 30 such that the entire area of ​​the antenna 30 overlaps with the first base layer 4. This simplifies the design of the pattern of the first base layer 4 and eases the alignment with the antenna 30, making it easier to design and manufacture the packaging.

[0077] Next, the adhesive layer 7 has the role of bonding the IC tag 20 and the first base layer 4 to the protective layer 8, which are formed on the substrate 6 via the second base layer 5. In addition, it also has the role of absorbing the irregularities of the surface formed by the IC tag 20 and the first base layer 4, thereby ensuring the smoothness of the substrate 6 and the protective layer 8. The adhesive layer 7 can be made of various liquid adhesives that are flexible before curing and possess appropriate adhesive strength and the ability to absorb irregularities. Examples of adhesive layers 7 include various adhesives and fillers with properties such as thermosetting, UV curing, and moisture curing, such as urethane, acrylic, silicone, rubber, and epoxy.

[0078] On the other hand, the protective layer 8 is provided to protect the IC tag 20 by sandwiching it together with the base material 6 from both sides, preventing damage to the IC tag 20 and ensuring security against misuse or separation of the IC tag 20. The protective layer 8 can be made of a film-like material equivalent to that of the base material 6. Furthermore, the base material 6 and the protective layer 8 may be formed from the same material, or they may be formed from different materials.

[0079] (c) Assembly (wrapping) of packaging material onto the packaging body The method for manufacturing the packaging material 100 described above, and the method for manufacturing an article 10 with a packaging body by wrapping the packaging material 100 around the outer circumference of the body of the bottle 50 as a packaging body 2, will be described below. Figures 3(a) to 3(e) are cross-sectional views similar to those in Figure 1(b), illustrating the process for manufacturing the packaging material 100 or the packaging body 2. First, as shown in Figure 3(a), a second base layer 5 is formed on one side of the base material 6, which is the -Y direction side. As mentioned above, the second base layer 5 is formed by printing a pattern including a predetermined decorative design using various known printing methods.

[0080] Next, as shown in Figure 3(b), the IC tag 20 is formed on the surface of the second substrate 5 opposite to the base material 6. That is, the antenna 30 is formed by printing or the like, and then the IC module 500 is mounted on the surface of the antenna 30 opposite to the second substrate 5 and the base material 6, and the IC chip 510 and the antenna 30 are electrically connected. As a result, the IC tag 20 acquires a predetermined wireless communication function. As mentioned above, the IC module 500 may be the IC chip 510 itself, or it may be a modularized component in which the IC chip 510, base material, and wiring are integrated.

[0081] Next, as shown in Figure 3(c), the first base layer 4 is formed by printing or other means on the surface of the second base layer 5 opposite to the base material 6, in a region that surrounds the IC tag 20. However, the IC module 500 may not be mounted when the antenna 30 is formed, but rather mounted on the surface of the antenna 30 after the first base layer 4 is formed. By changing the order of the processes in this way, the risk of accidentally damaging the IC chip 510 during printing of the first base layer 4 can be reduced.

[0082] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3(d), an adhesive layer 7 is formed in advance on one side of the protective layer 8, which is the side facing the +Y direction. Specifically, the liquid adhesive described above is applied or coated onto this side of the protective layer 8. This forms an adhesive layer 7 with a substantially uniform thickness on the side facing the +Y direction of the protective layer 8. Next, as shown in Figure 3(e), the side of the protective layer 8 on which the adhesive layer 7 is formed is placed facing the side of the substrate 6 on which the IC tag 20 and the first underlayer 4 are formed, and a predetermined pressure or thermal pressure is applied along the Y-axis to bring the two into contact.

[0083] As a result, the uncured adhesive layer 7 absorbs the uneven surfaces of the IC tag 20 and the first base layer 4, while the base material 6 and the protective layer 8 are laminated and adhere to each other while ensuring smoothness. Consequently, a packaging material 100 is completed in which the second base layer 5, the IC tag 20 and the first base layer 4 are sandwiched between the base material 6 and the protective layer 8.

[0084] Next, the process of wrapping the packaging material 100 around the body of the bottle 50 to form the packaging body 2 will be described. The packaging material 100 described above is manufactured as a long film member. This is cut into strips of packaging material 100 that are roughly rectangular in shape, so that each strip contains one IC tag 20. Furthermore, as shown in the solid line portion of Figure 1(a), these are set and wrapped around the body of the bottle 50 so that the long side of the packaging material 100 is aligned with the left-right direction. At this time, a hot-melt adhesive is applied to one of the short sides of the packaging material 100. Then, a portion of the short side of the packaging material 100 is overlapped, and as the overlapped portion cools, the packaging material 100 is fixed to the bottle 50 as a ring-shaped packaging body 2. Alternatively, a hot-melt adhesive may also be applied to the part of the packaging material 100 that comes into contact with the bottle 50, so that the packaging body 2 is fixed to the bottle 50 via the adhesive.

[0085] Furthermore, if the packaging material 100 is heat-shrinkable and it is desired to fit the packaging 2 to the outer shape of the bottle 50 as closely as possible, the article 10 with the packaging is passed through a predetermined drying oven. This further shrinks the packaging 2, resulting in an attractively shaped article 10 with packaging.

[0086] (d) Packaging material and packaging body of the first embodiment In summary, the packaging 2 covering at least a portion of the article in the first embodiment is formed by laminating a base material 6, an antenna 30 and a first underlayer 4, and a second underlayer 5. The antenna 30 and the first underlayer 4, and the second underlayer 5 are each arranged on one side of the base material 6.

[0087] The same applies to the packaging material 100 before it is wrapped around the bottle 50. That is, the packaging material 100, which can be assembled to form a package 2 equipped with an antenna 30 that covers at least a portion of the article, is constructed as follows: The packaging material 100 is formed by laminating a base material 6, a conductive pattern 30 that constitutes the antenna 30, a first base layer 4, and a second base layer 5.

[0088] As described above, the packaging material 100 and the packaging body 2 of this embodiment are assembled and formed by wrapping them around the body of the bottle 50 in a ring shape, with their outer surface serving as the base material 6. This ensures that the second base layer 5 for adding design elements to the packaging body 2 and the antenna 30 for contactless communication with external devices as an IC tag 20 are positioned inside the base material 6. As a result, the printing layer is less likely to rub off, and the antenna 30 and IC chip 510 are less likely to be damaged by external forces, thus providing a high-quality and reliable packaging body 2.

[0089] Furthermore, even if there is some difference in the external color of the antenna 30 and the external color of the first base layer 4, the presence of the second base layer 5 covering them makes it difficult to distinguish the difference in color between the two. Therefore, the second base layer 5 can be a design-printed layer provided on the inner surface of the base material 6 of the packaging body 2, which has a design feature, thereby increasing the freedom of design selection.

[0090] Furthermore, the second base layer 5 may be used solely to conceal the antenna 30 and the first base layer 4, and an additional printing layer, such as a design print, may be provided between the second base layer 5 and the base material 6 to further enhance the design with different colors. With this configuration, the design of the additional printing layer on the outermost surface can be selected without being affected by the colors of the antenna 30 or the first base layer 4, further increasing the freedom of design. For example, Figure 1(c) is a cross-sectional view of the packaging material 100h or packaging body 2h, showing a cross-section similar to that of Figure 1(b). The packaging material 100h or packaging body 2h has an additional printing layer 230 between the second base layer 5 and the base material 6.

[0091] Furthermore, the packaging 2 is formed by laminating a base material 6, an antenna 30, a first underlayer 4, and a second underlayer 5. The antenna 30, the first underlayer 4, and the second underlayer 5 are each positioned on the inside of the packaging 2, which is one side of the base material 6. As a result, compared to the case where the first underlayer is not formed, when the packaging 2 is wrapped around the bottle 50, the unevenness caused by the thickness of the antenna 30 is suppressed from becoming apparent on the base material 6, which is the outermost surface of the packaging 2. In addition, even if the base material 6 and the second underlayer 5 have a certain degree of visible light transmittance, the presence of the antenna 30 can be made less noticeable. Therefore, these effects suppress the easy visibility of the antenna 30 in the packaging 2.

[0092] As described above, this embodiment provides a packaging material 100, a package 2, and an article 10 with a package that are equipped with an antenna that enables wireless communication and make it difficult to see the antenna from the outside.

[0093] 2. Modified form of the first embodiment Next, modified examples of the packaging material, packaging body, and article with packaging body according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Figures 4(a) to 4(c) and Figures 5(a) and 5(b) are diagrams illustrating cross-sections of the packaging material and packaging body according to each modified example, corresponding to Figure 1(b), respectively. The modified examples will be described below.

[0094] (a) Variation 1 Figure 4(a) is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the packaging material 100a according to Modification 1 and the packaging body 2a in which it is wrapped around the bottle 50. The packaging material 100a has a configuration in which the base material 6, second base layer 5, adhesive layer 7, IC tag 20 and first base layer 4, and protective layer 8 are stacked in this order when viewed from the +Y direction side. That is, the antenna 30 and the first base layer 4 are both positioned on the side of the protective layer 8 facing the base material 6, and the base material 6 and protective layer 8 are bonded together, with the antenna 30 and the first base layer 4 and second base layer 5 being bonded via the adhesive layer 7. The packaging material 100a of Modification 1 differs from the packaging material 100 of the first embodiment described above in that the arrangement of the IC tag 20 and the first base layer 4 and the adhesive layer 7 is reversed.

[0095] In this modified example, when viewed in plan along the Y-axis, the first sub-layer 4 is located in the region surrounding the antenna 30. However, as described in the first embodiment, the first sub-layer 4 is not limited to the region surrounding the antenna 30, but only needs to be located in a region adjacent to the antenna. This point also applies to the other modified examples described below.

[0096] Furthermore, when viewed in plan along the Y-axis, the antenna 30 and the first subfloor 4 do not overlap each other. The first subfloor 4 is positioned adjacent to the antenna 30, or surrounding it, either in contact with the outer contour of the antenna 30 or separated by a minute gap. However, this modification is not limited to this, and the antenna 30 and the first subfloor 4 may partially overlap each other. This also applies to the modifications 2 and 3 described below.

[0097] Because the packaging material 100a has this layered structure, when wrapped around the bottle 50 as the packaging body 2a, the IC tag 20 and the first base layer 4 can be seen from the outer surface side, through the base material 6, the second base layer 5, and the adhesive layer 7. In other words, the more opaque the adhesive layer 7 is, the more difficult it becomes to see the IC tag 20 from the outside, making it even more difficult to identify the presence and placement of the IC tag 20 from the outside, thereby further improving the design and security of the item.

[0098] Furthermore, even if some external force is applied to the packaging 2, such as dropping the bottle 50, the adhesive layer 7 functions as a cushioning layer, protecting the inner IC tag 20, thereby suppressing damage to the IC tag 20 and making it easier for the packaging to perform its function.

[0099] The method for manufacturing the packaging material 100a involves first forming a second base layer 5 on one surface of the base material 6 by printing or the like. Meanwhile, an antenna 30 and a first base layer 4 are formed on the protective layer 8 by printing or the like, and an IC module 500 is mounted on the surface of the antenna 30. Next, an adhesive layer 7 is formed by applying adhesive to either the surface of the base material 6 where the second base layer 5 is formed, or the surface of the protective layer 8 where the IC tag 20 and the first base layer 4 are formed. The base material 6 and the protective layer 8 are then joined together via the adhesive layer 7 so that the surface of the second base layer 5 on the base material 6 and the surface of the IC tag 20 and the first base layer 4 on the protective layer 8 face each other, thereby obtaining a packaging material 100a in which these layers are integrally laminated. Furthermore, the packaging material 100a thus obtained can be wrapped around and fixed to the bottle 50 according to the method described above to obtain a package 2a and an article with a package. This point is the same for subsequent modifications.

[0100] (b) Variation 2 Figure 4(b) is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the packaging material 100b according to Modification 2 and the packaging body 2b in which it is wrapped around the bottle 50. The packaging material 100b has a configuration in which the base material 6, second base layer 5, IC tag 20, adhesive layer 7, first base layer 4, and protective layer 8 are laminated in this order when viewed from the +Y direction side. That is, the first base layer 4 is positioned on the side of the protective layer 8 facing the base material 6, the antenna 30 is positioned on the side of the second base layer 5 opposite to the base material 6, and the antenna 30 and the first base layer 4 are bonded together via the adhesive layer 7. The packaging material 100b of Modification 2 differs from the packaging material 100 of the first embodiment described above in that the IC tag 20 and the first base layer 4 are positioned on different layers, and the arrangement of the first base layer 4 is different.

[0101] Because the packaging material 100b has this layered structure, when wrapped around the bottle 50 as the packaging body 2b, the IC tag 20 and the first base layer 4 are separated from each other by the adhesive layer 7, which is an insulating material. Therefore, even if a pigment with lustrous metal particles is used as the ink for the first base layer 4, the adverse effect of the metal component of the first base layer 4 on the characteristics of the IC tag 20 can be reduced.

[0102] The method for manufacturing the packaging material 100b involves first forming a second base layer 5 on one surface of the base material 6 by printing or the like, and then forming an antenna 30 on the upper surface of the second base layer 5 by printing or the like. Furthermore, an IC module 500 is mounted on the surface of the antenna 30. Meanwhile, a first base layer 4 is formed on the protective layer 8 by printing or the like. Next, an adhesive layer 7 is formed by applying an adhesive to the surface of the base material 6 on which the second base layer 5 and antenna 30 are formed, or on the surface of the protective layer 8 on which the first base layer 4 is formed. Then, the base material 6 and the protective layer 8 are joined together via the adhesive layer 7 so that the surface of the second base layer 5 and antenna 30 on the base material 6 and the surface of the first base layer 4 on the protective layer 8 face each other, thereby obtaining a packaging material 100b in which these layers are integrally laminated.

[0103] (c) Modification 3 Figure 4(c) is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the packaging material 100c according to Modification 3 and the packaging body 2c in which it is wrapped around the bottle 50. The packaging material 100c has a configuration in which the base material 6, second base layer 5, first base layer 4, adhesive layer 7, IC tag 20, and protective layer 8 are stacked in this order when viewed from the +Y direction side. That is, the antenna 30 is positioned on the side of the protective layer 8 facing the base material 6, the first base layer 4 is positioned on the side of the second base layer 5 opposite to the base material 6, and the first base layer 4 and the protective layer 8 are bonded together via the adhesive layer 7. The packaging material 100c of Modification 3 differs from the packaging material 100 of the first embodiment described above in that the IC tag 20 and the first base layer 4 are positioned on different layers and the arrangement of the IC tags 20 is different.

[0104] Because the packaging material 100c has this layered structure, when wrapped around the bottle 50 as the packaging body 2c, the IC tag 20 and the first base layer 4 are separated from each other by the adhesive layer 7, which is an insulating material. Therefore, even if a pigment with lustrous metal particles is used as the ink for the first base layer 4, the adverse effect of the metal component of the first base layer 4 on the characteristics of the IC tag 20 can be reduced. Furthermore, when the bottle 50 is viewed from the outside, the IC tag 20 of the packaging body 2c is positioned inside the adhesive layer 7, making it even more difficult to see the antenna 30 of the IC tag 20. Thus, even without strictly matching the color of the first base layer 4 to the color of the antenna 30, a sufficient camouflage effect that makes it difficult to identify the IC tag 20 can be obtained, and the degree of freedom in selecting the color of the first base layer 4 can be increased.

[0105] The method for manufacturing the packaging material 100c involves first forming a second base layer 5 on one surface of the base material 6 by printing or the like, and forming a first base layer 4 on the upper surface of the second base layer 5 by printing or the like. Meanwhile, an antenna 30 is formed on the protective layer 8 by printing or the like, and an IC module 500 is mounted on the surface of the antenna 30. Next, an adhesive layer 7 is formed by applying an adhesive to either the surface of the base material 6 on which the first base layer 4 is formed, or the surface of the protective layer 8 on which the antenna 30 is formed. The base material 6 and the protective layer 8 are then joined together via the adhesive layer 7 so that the surface of the first base layer 4 on the base material 6 and the surface of the antenna 30 on the protective layer 8 face each other, thereby obtaining a packaging material 100c in which these layers are integrally laminated.

[0106] (d) Modification 4 Figure 5(a) is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the packaging material 100d and the packaging body 2d in which it is wrapped around the bottle 50 according to Modification 4. The packaging material 100d has a configuration in which the base material 6, second base layer 5, first base layer 4, adhesive layer 7, IC tag 20, and protective layer 8 are stacked in this order when viewed from the +Y direction side. That is, the arrangement of the layer configuration is the same as that of Modification 3 described above. However, when viewed in plan along the Y axis, the first base layer 4 overlaps with the entire antenna 30 so as to encompass the entire area of ​​the antenna 30.

[0107] Because the packaging material 100d has this layered structure, when wrapped around the bottle 50 as the packaging body 2d, the IC tag 20 is concealed not only by the adhesive layer 7 but also by the first base layer 4, making it even more difficult to see the antenna 30 of the IC tag 20. Therefore, by making the color of the first base layer 4 a moderately dark color that can conceal the antenna 30, a sufficient camouflage effect can be obtained that makes it difficult to identify the IC tag 20 without strictly matching the color of the antenna 30. Thus, the degree of freedom in selecting the color of the first base layer 4 can be further increased. In addition, the design of the pattern of the first base layer 4 can be simplified, and alignment with the antenna 30 can be eased, making the design and manufacturing of the packaging body easier. The method for manufacturing the packaging material 100d is the same as in Modification 3, so the explanation is omitted.

[0108] (e) Variation 5 Figure 5(b) is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the packaging material 100e and the packaging body 2e in which it is wrapped around the bottle 50 according to Modification 5. The packaging material 100e has a configuration in which the base material 6, second base layer 5, IC tag 20, adhesive layer 7, first base layer 4, and protective layer 8 are stacked in this order when viewed from the +Y direction side. That is, the arrangement of the layer configuration is the same as that of Modification 2 described above. However, when viewed in plan along the Y axis, the first base layer 4 overlaps with the entire antenna 30 so as to encompass the entire area of ​​the antenna 30.

[0109] Because the packaging material 100e has this layered structure, when wrapped around the bottle 50 as packaging 2e, the IC tag 20 is separated from the first base layer 4, which is positioned on the inside, by the adhesive layer 7. Therefore, even if a pigment with lustrous metal particles is used as the ink for the first base layer 4, the adverse effect of the metal component of the first base layer 4 on the characteristics of the IC tag 20 can be reduced. Furthermore, in a plan view along the Y-axis, there is no gap between the IC tag 20 and the first base layer 4, and the boundary of the outer contour of the IC tag 20 is difficult to see, thus providing an even greater camouflage effect that makes it difficult to identify the IC tag 20. Therefore, the degree of freedom in selecting the color of the first base layer 4 can be further increased. In addition, the design of the pattern of the first base layer 4 can be simplified, and alignment with the antenna 30 can be eased, making the design and manufacturing of the packaging easier. The method for manufacturing the packaging material 100e is the same as in Modification 2, so the explanation is omitted.

[0110] 3. Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the packaging material, packaging body, and article with packaging body of the present disclosure will be described. Figure 6(a) is a schematic perspective view showing a packaging body 2f and an article with packaging body 10a, which are in the shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. Figure 6(b) is an unfolded view showing the packaging material 100f obtained by unfolding the packaging body 2f of Figure 6(a) on a plane.

[0111] Here, we also set up an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system for the packaging 2f. As shown in Figure 6(a), the Z axis is taken in the vertical direction of the paper plane for the packaging 2f, and the Y axis is taken in the direction connecting the front and back sides. In addition, the X axis is taken in the left and right directions perpendicular to the Z and Y axes. The direction upward along the Z axis is defined as the +Z direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -Z direction. The direction along the Z axis is also simply called the up and down direction. The direction from the front to the back along the Y axis is defined as the +Y direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -Y direction. The direction along the Y axis is also simply called the depth direction. Furthermore, the direction from the left to the right along the X axis is defined as the +X direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -X direction. The direction along the X axis is also simply called the left and right direction. The configuration of the packaging material 100f, packaging 2f, and article 10a with packaging according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 6 and 7.

[0112] (a) Composition of the packaging First, let's describe the packaging 2f. In this embodiment, the packaging 2f is a roughly rectangular cardboard packaging box that packages the entire article 610, such as a solid food item, and the article 10a with the packaging 10a constitutes the product as a whole. Here, Figure 6(b) is an unfolded view of the packaging material 100f, which is unfolded on the XY plane while the second surface 12 of the packaging 2f in Figure 6(a), which is in contact with the floor (not shown), is fixed on the XY plane, as viewed from the floor side, i.e., from the -Z direction side. Figure 7(a) is a cross-sectional view of the surface of the packaging material 100f in Figure 6(b) cut along the BB line along the Y axis, as viewed from the -X direction side.

[0113] As shown in Figure 6(a), the packaging 2f is a box-shaped container for storing the article 610. The packaging 2f has a first face 11 on the -Y direction side, which is the front, and a third face 13 on the +Y direction side opposite the first face 11, which is the back. The packaging 2f also has a fifth face 15 which is the left side adjacent to the first face 11 on the -X direction side, and a sixth face 16 which is the right side on the +X direction side opposite the fifth face 15. Furthermore, the packaging 2f has a fourth face 14 which is the top side adjacent to the first face 11 on the +Z direction side, and a second face 12 which is the bottom side on the -Z direction side opposite the fourth face 14. However, the arrangement of the packaging 2f is for convenience only, and the first face 11 may be arranged to be the back, left side, right side, top, or bottom.

[0114] An antenna 30a constituting the IC tag 20a is formed on the outward-facing surface of the fourth surface 14 of the packaging 2f. The antenna 30a extends along the Y axis, and the IC module 500 is positioned approximately in the center of it. The antenna 30 forms a dipole antenna, with the open end on the -Y direction being the first end 31a and the open end on the +Y direction being the second end 31b. The fact that the antenna 30a does not have to be a dipole antenna and that its shape can be any shape is common to the description of the antenna 30 in the first embodiment.

[0115] In this embodiment, for the sake of simplicity, an example is given in which the antenna 30a is formed only on the fourth surface 14. However, the arrangement of the antenna 30a is not limited to this, and it may be arranged across the third surface 13, the fourth surface 14, and the first surface 11, or across other surfaces. Furthermore, the antenna shape may be one in which multiple linear antennas intersect, or it may be formed in a spiral shape on the surface of a box-shaped container. The IC module 500 and the antenna 30a are electrically connected, with the IC chip of the IC module 500 and the opposing parts of the antenna 30a facing each other. This forms an IC tag 20a, enabling contactless communication with external devices via radio waves or electromagnetic induction.

[0116] Furthermore, the packaging 2f is printed on its outer surface in order to possess design aesthetics as a product. Here, on the fourth surface 14 of the packaging 2f where the IC tag 20a is placed, a first base layer 4a is provided so as to be adjacent to and surrounding the outer contour of the antenna 30a of the IC tag 20a. In other words, the first base layer 4a is arranged to cover almost the entire area of ​​the fourth surface 14 of the packaging 2f, excluding the area where the IC tag 20a is placed.

[0117] Furthermore, the outermost surface of the fourth surface 14, on which the antenna 30a and the first base layer 4a are provided, is covered entirely by a second base layer 220 that extends over the entire surface, covering the antenna 30a and the first base layer 4a. Because the second base layer 220 is formed on the fourth surface 14, the antenna 30a and the first base layer 4a, which are located in the layers below, are difficult to see when the packaging 2f is viewed from the outside. However, in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), the display of the second base layer 220 is limited to a portion, and the majority of the display is omitted, in consideration of clarifying the arrangement of the antenna 30a and the first base layer 4a.

[0118] Furthermore, each surface other than the fourth surface 14 is provided with a printed layer 210 to add design elements as needed. Note that in Figure 6(a), etc., the printed layer 210 is omitted from the display except in some cases.

[0119] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the antenna 30a and the first underlayment 4a are formed on the outer surface side of the packaging body 2f. However, considering aesthetics and other factors, the antenna 30a may be formed on the inner surface side of the packaging body 2f, or the antenna 30a may be formed on both the outer and inner surfaces of the packaging body 2f. In addition, another printing layer may be formed on the outer surface side of the second underlayment 220 formed on the outer surface side of the packaging body 2f.

[0120] Thus, the second base layer 5 is used as the second base layer solely to conceal the antenna 30a and the first base layer 4a, and an additional printing layer, such as a design print of a different color for further design enhancement, may be provided on the outermost surface of the second base layer 220. With this configuration, the design of the additional printing layer on the outermost surface can be selected without being affected by the colors of the antenna 30a and the first base layer 4a, thereby increasing the degree of design freedom. For example, Figure 7(c) is a cross-sectional view of the packaging material 100i showing the same cross-section as in Figure 7(a). The packaging material 100i has an additional printing layer 240 on the outermost surface of the second base layer 220 on the -Z direction side.

[0121] (b) Composition of packaging materials Next, in order to understand the structure of the packaging body 2f described above, the structure of the packaging material 100f, which is a component formed by unfolding the packaging body 2f on a plane, will be explained. As shown in Figures 6(b) and 7(a), the packaging material 100f has a conductive pattern 30a formed on one side of the base material 110, which is the -Z direction side, and a first underlayment layer 4a is formed adjacent to, overlapping with, or surrounding the outer contour of these conductive patterns 30a. Furthermore, a second underlayment layer 220 is formed on the outermost surface of the fourth surface 14 so as to cover the conductive pattern 30a and the first underlayment layer 4a. In addition, a printed layer 210 is formed on the surface of the base material 110 where the conductive pattern 30a and the first underlayment layer 4a are not arranged. The printed layer 210 and the second underlayment layer 220 may be printed layers with a unified design, or they may be printed layers with different designs.

[0122] Furthermore, the conductive pattern 30a functions as an antenna 30a in the assembled packaging 2f, and together with the IC chip, constitutes the IC tag 20a. However, this disclosure does not preclude the additional placement of other conductive patterns that satisfy a similar relationship to the conductive pattern 30a.

[0123] Packaging material 100f is a cardboard or plastic material composed of paper materials such as high-quality paper, coated paper, or art paper, or a component made by mixing or laminating these materials. Depending on the product, the inner surface of the above component may be coated with resin or further laminated with aluminum foil or aluminum vapor-deposited film to provide gas barrier properties.

[0124] The packaging material 100f is arranged such that when assembled, it forms a roughly rectangular packaging body 2f. The first face 11 is adjacent to the -Y direction side of the second face 12, and the third face 13 is adjacent to the +Y direction side. In addition, the fifth face 15 is adjacent to the -X direction side of the second face 12, and the sixth face 16 is adjacent to the +X direction side. Furthermore, the fourth face 14 is adjacent to the +Y direction side of the third face 13.

[0125] A fold line 12q exists at the boundary between the second surface 12 and the first surface 11, which will be folded in a subsequent process. Similarly, fold lines 12s, 12p, 12r, and 13r exist at the boundaries between the second surface 12 and the third surface 13, the second surface 12 and the fifth surface 15, the second surface 12 and the sixth surface 16, and the third surface 13 and the fourth surface 14, respectively. In addition, approximately trapezoidal glue margins 11b, 11a, and 11c extend from the -Y, -X, and +X sides of the first surface 11, with fold lines 11q, 11p, and 11r as boundaries, respectively.

[0126] On the other hand, approximately trapezoidal glue margins 13a and 13b are provided extending from the -X direction side and the +X direction side of the third surface 13, with the fold lines 13p and 13q as boundaries, respectively. Also, approximately trapezoidal glue margins 15a and 16a are provided extending from the -X direction side of the fifth surface 15 and the +X direction side of the sixth surface 16, with the fold lines 15p and 16p as boundaries, respectively. As shown in Figure 6(a), the glue margin 11b is assembled to overlap with the +Y direction end of the fourth surface 14 shown in Figure 6(b).

[0127] Furthermore, the adhesive margins 11a, 11c, 13a, and 13b are assembled to overlap with the -Y side end of the fifth surface 15, the -Y side end of the sixth surface 16, the +Y side end of the fifth surface 15, and the +Y side end of the sixth surface 16, respectively, as shown in Figure 6(b). In addition, the adhesive margins 15a and 16a are assembled to overlap with the -X side end of the fourth surface 14 and the +X side end of the fourth surface 14, respectively, as shown in Figure 6(b).

[0128] Here, the fold line merely indicates a line that is scheduled to be folded in a later process, and it is not necessary for any marking lines to be printed or creases to be specifically applied beforehand. However, to facilitate folding, the base material 110 may be perforated with intermittent through slits, or half-cut with continuous cuts to an intermediate depth formed on one side. Alternatively, marking lines may be displayed by printing or other means, or creases may be formed in advance, so that the fold line is visible. Furthermore, adhesive may be applied to the glue margin to bond the two overlapping parts together, or no adhesive may be applied to the glue margin.

[0129] A linear conductive pattern 30a along the Y axis is arranged on the fourth surface 14 of the packaging material 100f. The conductive pattern 30a is formed on the -Z direction side of the base material 110. However, the conductive pattern may also be formed on the +Z direction side of the base material 110, or on both the -Z direction and +Z direction sides of the base material 110. Furthermore, other conductive patterns described above may be additionally arranged. The conductive pattern 30a is a portion of the IC tag 20a where a predetermined pattern for transmitting and receiving radio waves, etc., is formed of a conductive material, serving as the antenna 30a of the IC tag 20a. The detailed specifications of the conductive pattern 30a, antenna 30a, and IC tag 20a are the same as those described for the conductive pattern 30, antenna 30, and IC tag 20 of the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0130] Furthermore, the conditions for the surface resistivity of the first underlayer 4a and the second underlayer 220 and the antenna 30a, the conditions for the difference in surface resistivity between them, and the conditions for the color difference between them are the same as those described for the first underlayer 4 and the second underlayer 5 and the antenna 30 in the first embodiment. The same also applies to the conditions for the value of dha, which is the gap between the first underlayer 4a and the antenna 30a in the vertical direction, the conditions for the value of dwa, which is the gap between them in the horizontal direction, and the conditions for the relationship between the film thickness of the first underlayer 4a and the film thickness of the antenna 30. The packaging body 2f of the second embodiment differs from the packaging body 2 of the first embodiment only in a part of the layer structure and form of the packaging body, and the effects of the relationship between the IC tag 20a and the first underlayer 4a are the same as the effects of the relationship between the IC tag 20 and the first underlayer 4.

[0131] (c) Assembling the packaging material into the packaging body By sequentially assembling the above-described packaging material 100f, a roughly rectangular package 2f can be obtained. First, the packaging material 100f in Figure 6(b) is folded into mountain folds according to the fold curves. For example, mountain folds are made along the fold curves 11p, 11q, and 11r, which are the boundaries between the first surface 11 and the adhesive margins 11a, 11b, and 11c extending thereto. Similarly, mountain folds are made along the fold curves 15p and 16p, which are the boundaries between the fifth surface 15 and the sixth surface 16 and the adhesive margins 15a and 16a extending thereto. In addition, mountain folds are made along the fold curves 13p and 13q, which are the boundaries between the third surface 13 and the adhesive margins 13a and 13b extending thereto.

[0132] Subsequently, adhesive is applied to each overlapping area as needed, and then mountain folds are made along the fold lines 12q, 12p, 12r, and 12s, which are the boundaries between the second surface 12 and the adjacent first surface 11, fifth surface 15, sixth surface 16, and third surface 13. Mountain folds are also made along the fold line 13r, which is the boundary between the third surface 13 and the adjacent fourth surface 14. As a result, a roughly rectangular package 2f shown in Figure 6(a) is assembled.

[0133] As explained in Figures 2(a) to 2(d), the packaging 2f, which includes the IC tag 20a, is completed by mounting and fixing the IC module 500 in a predetermined position so as to straddle the opposing parts of the antenna 30a. In other words, the first pad 510a and the second pad 510b, which are the electrical connection terminals of the IC chip 510, are electrically connected to their respective opposing parts. As a result, the IC chip 510 and the antenna 30a constitute a communication circuit that enables wireless communication with external devices.

[0134] (d) Packaging material and packaging body of the second embodiment In summary, the packaging 2f covering at least a portion of the article in the second embodiment is formed by laminating a base material 110, an antenna 30a and a first underlayer 4a, and a second underlayer 220. The antenna 30a and the first underlayer 4a, and the second underlayer 220 are each arranged on one side of the base material 110.

[0135] Furthermore, the packaging material 100f, which can be assembled into a package 2f equipped with an antenna 30a that covers at least a portion of an article, has the following configuration. The packaging material 100f is formed by laminating a base material 110, a conductive pattern 30a constituting the antenna 30a, a first base layer 4a, and a second base layer 220. The conductive pattern 30a, the first base layer 4a, and the second base layer 220 are each arranged on one side of the base material 110.

[0136] As described above, the packaging material 100f and packaging body 2f of this embodiment are assembled as a box-shaped container for storing goods, and the IC tag 20a is placed on its outer surface. As a result, after quality inspection of the final packaging body 2f containing the goods, the IC tag 20a is attached only to packaging bodies 2f that are deemed good products. Therefore, waste such as discarding IC tags 20a attached to defective packaging bodies 2f, and increased workload such as removing attached IC tags 20a are suppressed.

[0137] Furthermore, the first base layer 4a is positioned so as to be in contact with the outer contour of the antenna 30a constituting the IC tag 20a, or so as to surround the outer contour with a very small gap between them, or so as to be adjacent to or overlapping with a part of the outer contour. In addition, a second base layer 220 is formed on the outermost surface of the packaging 2f so as to cover the antenna 30a and the first base layer 4a.

[0138] When the packaged article 10a is viewed from the outside, the presence of the IC tag 20a on the package 2f is camouflaged by the presence of the adjacent first base layer 4a and the second base layer 220 covering the outermost surface. Therefore, compared to the case where the first base layer 4a is not formed, the following advantages are obtained. First, in the packaging material 100f, the formation of each part on the base material 110 is done by first forming the antenna 30a and the first base layer 4a by printing, etc., and then forming the second base layer 220 by printing, etc. so as to cover the antenna 30a and the first base layer 4a.

[0139] In this case, it is generally efficient to perform each print simultaneously at high speed using a gravure printing machine on the packaging material 100f. However, if the first base layer 4a is not provided, the step of the antenna 30a may prevent the second base layer 220 from being printed correctly. In other words, due to the unevenness of the printed surface caused by the step of the antenna 30a, areas where printing is not performed (so-called print gaps) are likely to occur near the antenna 30a. In contrast, in this embodiment, since the first base layer 4a is also formed around the antenna 30a, the second base layer 220 can be formed with good quality even when it is layered on top.

[0140] Furthermore, even if there is some difference in the external color of the antenna 30a and the external color of the first base layer 4a, the presence of the second base layer 220 covering them makes it difficult to distinguish the difference in color between the two. Therefore, the second base layer 220 can be the outermost design printing layer of the packaging 2f, which has a decorative design, thereby increasing the freedom of design selection.

[0141] Furthermore, when the packaging 2f is viewed from the outside, the irregularities caused by the thickness of the antenna 30a are less likely to be visible on the outermost surface of the packaging 2f. Therefore, even when the packaging 2f is viewed from an oblique angle, it becomes difficult to estimate the presence of the antenna 30a from the shape of the irregularities due to the influence of light reflection, etc. Thus, in this embodiment, it is possible to provide a packaging material 100f, a packaging 2f, and an article 10a with a packaging that are equipped with an antenna that enables wireless communication and make the antenna difficult to see from the outside.

[0142] 4. Modified form of the second embodiment Next, modified examples of the packaging material, packaging and article with packaging according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Figures 8(a), 8(b), and 7(b) are explanatory diagrams of packaging 2g and packaging material 100g relating to modified examples corresponding to the packaging 2f and packaging material 100f of the second embodiment shown in Figures 6(a), 6(b), and 7(a), respectively.

[0143] The modified packaging 2g differs from the second embodiment in that the first underlay 4b is provided so as to conceal the front surface of the antenna 30a of the IC tag 20a formed on the fourth surface 14, that is, so as to overlap the entire area of ​​the antenna 30a in a plan view along the Z-axis. The same applies to the packaging material 100g before assembling the packaging 2g.

[0144] Because the 100g of packaging material and the 2g of packaging body have this layered structure, when the 2g of packaging body is viewed from the outside, the IC tag 20a is concealed by the first base layer 4b, and further concealed by the second base layer 220, which is placed on the outermost surface and covers the IC tag 20a and the first base layer 4b. With this configuration, it becomes difficult to see the antenna 30a of the IC tag 20a in the 2g of packaging body. Therefore, by making the color of the first base layer 4b a moderately dark color that can conceal the antenna 30a, a sufficient camouflage effect can be obtained that makes it difficult to identify the IC tag 20a without strictly matching the color of the antenna 30a.

[0145] Therefore, the degree of freedom in selecting the color of the first base layer 4b can be further increased. In addition, the design of the pattern of the first base layer 4b can be simplified, and alignment with the antenna 30a can be eased, making the design and manufacturing of the packaging easier. The method for manufacturing 100g of packaging material and 2g of packaging is the same as in the second embodiment, so the explanation is omitted.

[0146] Furthermore, the embodiments and modifications described above can be implemented in whole or in part, provided they do not contradict each other, and the details of such implementations are naturally included in this disclosure. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0147] 2, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 2g, 2h packaging 4, 4a, 4b 1st base layer 5, 220 2nd base layer 6 Base material 7 Adhesive layer 8 Protective layer 10, 10a, 10b Articles with packaging 11 Page 1 11a, 11b, 11c Glue allowance 11p, 11q, 11r folding lines 12 Side 2 12p, 12q, 12r, 12s folding curve 13 Page 3 13a, 13b Glue allowance 13p, 13q folding curve 14 Side 4 15 Page 5 15a Glue allowance 15p folding line 16 Page 6 16a Glue allowance 16p folding line 20, 20a, 20j, 20k, 20m, 20n IC tags 30, 30a, 30j antennas 30k, 30n, 40n First element 30L, 30O, 40O Second element 30m 1st part 30ma, 30oa, 40ma, 40oa Opposite part 31a First end 31b Second end 40m 2nd part 50 bottles 51 Bottle body 52 caps 100, 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d, 100e, 100f, 100g, 100h, 100i Packaging material 110, 120 base material 210, 230, 240 printing layers 500 IC modules 510 IC chips 510a First pad 510b Second pad 520 Loop Circuit 520a, 520b Opposing section 600 Beverages 610 Goods

Claims

1. A package that covers at least a part of an article, Substrate and The first base layer formed by the antenna and printing, The second sublayer and the following are layered on top of each other. The antenna and the first underlayment and the second underlayment are each arranged on one side of the substrate. A packaging body wherein the first base layer is arranged to surround the antenna, either in contact with or separated from the outer contour of the antenna, and is provided to such an extent that it completely encloses the outer contour of the antenna.

2. The packaging according to claim 1, wherein the color difference ΔE*ab between the antenna and the first underlayer is 25 or less.

3. The packaging according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the color difference ΔE*ab between the second underlayment layer superimposed on the antenna in a plan view and the second underlayment layer not superimposed on the antenna is 13 or less.

4. The packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the surface resistivity values ​​of the first and second substrate layers are 100 times or more the surface resistivity value of the antenna.

5. The packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a printing layer is further laminated on the side of the second base layer opposite to the antenna or the first base layer.

6. The packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein an IC chip is electrically connected to the antenna, and the antenna and the IC chip constitute a communication circuit capable of wireless communication with an external device.

7. The packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the second underlayer overlaps the entire area of ​​the antenna in a plan view.

8. A packaged article, wherein the packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 7 covers at least a portion of the article.

9. A packaging material capable of assembling a package equipped with an antenna that covers at least a portion of an article, Substrate and The conductive pattern and the first underlayer formed by printing that constitute the antenna, The second sublayer and the following are layered on top of each other. The conductive pattern and the first underlayer and the second underlayer are each arranged on one side of the substrate. The first base layer is a packaging material that is arranged to surround the antenna, either in contact with or separated from the outer contour of the antenna, and to such an extent that it completely encloses the outer contour of the antenna.

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