環保循環杯之電子標籤隱藏杯身結構

Abstract

一種環保循環杯之電子標籤隱藏杯身結構，係一循環杯，包括：一杯本體，為絕緣杯體，其杯身外部一外表面設一標籤設置部，內部一內表面和一杯底部共同形成一盛液杯室，對應該標籤設置部作為一電波感應空間；一無線射頻識別標籤，係貼設在該標籤設置部上，其金屬薄膜天線的口形主天線兩側延伸一對擴展天線及開設一溝槽作為迴路焊盤電性連接一超高頻無線射頻識別晶片；一護框，為一塑膠射出成型的框體，由該框體包覆該標籤設置部，隱藏埋設該無線射頻識別標籤；整體結構，能使該循環杯使用該無線射頻識別標籤，除不存在抗化學性、脫落或外力破壞的問題外，且批量識別時，還增進長距離讀取的效果。

Description

The electronic tag of the eco-friendly reusable cup conceals the cup's structure. This invention relates to an environmentally friendly reusable cup that uses a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. In addition to eliminating the problems of chemical resistance, detachment, and external force damage, it also improves long-distance reading performance during batch identification. The electronic tag is hidden in the cup body structure. For decades, many businesses selling coffee, tea and other beverages have provided disposable cups for customers, whether for dine-in or takeout. However, this has accumulated into an alarming amount of plastic pollution and waste. As awareness of reducing plastic waste grows, many businesses are gradually introducing different sales models to provide consumers with more environmentally friendly options. For example, 7-Eleven, Starbucks, FamilyMart, PX Mart, KFC, and McDonald's have begun to introduce "reusable cups" to reduce the waste caused by disposable beverage cups. Reusable cups (also known as "borrowed cups") are cups provided by businesses for consumers to use to hold drinks for takeaway. After use, the cups are returned to designated recycling points (such as chain stores) within a certain period of time. Used cups are then cleaned by professional manufacturers for reuse. No plastic or paper cups are used in this process, and consumers enjoy the convenience of buying drinks whenever they want. While the "recycled cup" policy can reduce waste and pollution from disposable beverage cups, the ease of borrowing and returning "recycled cups," as well as the adequacy of cleaning and inspection, are the main factors in the widespread adoption of this waste reduction policy. In particular, the ability to independently identify each "recycled cup" is a fundamental requirement for the implementation of the "recycled cup" management or control system, which includes the use, tracking, and cleaning (hygiene) inspection of "recycled cups." The conventional method of attaching barcodes (one-dimensional or two-dimensional barcodes) to "recycle cups" is not ideal for identification because the cups may become dirty or damaged during circulation, making scanning difficult or impossible. Furthermore, barcode stickers are not resistant to chemicals or washing, and cannot be scanned at long distances or in batches during the washing process. In addition, the conventional solution of attaching electronic tags (Radio Frequency Identification Tags) to the surface of the "recycling cup" can still be read and identified by the reading device even if the electronic tags are dirty. However, whether the electronic tags are attached to the surface of the "recycling cup" or placed in other spatial locations, conditions such as not being easily damaged, chemical resistance, washability, long-distance reading capability, and batch reading capability must be considered in order to truly meet actual needs. The main objective of this invention is to provide an electronic tag-hidden structure for an environmentally friendly reusable cup. The reusable cup includes: a cup body, molded from food-grade plastic insulating material, with a tag placement area on a portion of its outer surface; and an inner surface and bottom forming a liquid-holding chamber corresponding to the tag placement area, defined as an electromagnetic wave sensing space; a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag affixed to the tag placement area on the cup body, a rectangular UHF RFID tag with a length and width falling within the range of the tag placement area, having an insulating substrate sheet; a metal thin-film antenna on one end surface of the insulating substrate sheet; a pair of extended antennas extending distally from both sides of a main UHF antenna, with a groove forming a loop between the extended antennas and the main UHF antenna, the two sides of which serve as loop pads electrically connecting to an UHF RFID chip; and a protective frame. After the RFID tag is affixed to the tag setting part of the cup body, it is embedded in a plastic injection mold. The plastic injection mold is used to inject and form a frame made of insulating plastic material, and the frame covers a part of the cup body at the location of the tag setting part, thus hiding the RFID tag within the frame. The RFID tag's concealment within the frame provides protection, ensuring that it is not susceptible to chemical damage, loss, or external force damage during cup cleaning. Furthermore, the tag setting part in the liquid-filling chamber of the cup body serves as the electromagnetic wave sensing space. The RFID tag is affixed to the tag setting part, and a metal film antenna is positioned around the electromagnetic wave sensing space. The aperture-shaped main antenna of the metal film antenna can establish an electromagnetic wave resonant cavity within the sensing space, making electromagnetic signal transmission and reception less susceptible to interference. This also allows the reading device to identify and read multiple cups in batches, achieving the benefit of stable long-distance reading. A second objective of this invention is to provide an electronic tag-concealed structure for an environmentally friendly reusable cup. The tag mounting portion is located above the cup body, outside the rim of the liquid-containing cup chamber, creating an electromagnetic wave sensing space near the rim. This electromagnetic wave sensing space, being closest to the rim, is most effective at sensing electromagnetic signals, thereby enhancing the RFID tag's ability to detect electromagnetic signals. Another objective of this invention is to provide an electronic tag concealed within the body of an environmentally friendly reusable cup. The radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is adhered to the tag placement area of ​​the cup body by adhesive on the metal thin-film antenna surface containing the UHF RFID chip. This allows the UHF RFID chip to withstand the impact of the injection molding process and the molding temperature through the insulating substrate sheet, ensuring that the frame of the cup completely covers the RFID tag during the molding process without damaging or harming the UHF RFID chip. The radio frequency identification (RFID) chip is electrically connected to the circuit pad of the metal film antenna of the aforementioned RFID tag. An encapsulating adhesive is fixed on the surface of the RFID chip, which includes the circuit pad, to encapsulate and fix the RFID chip to the circuit pad. The encapsulating adhesive strengthens the electrical connection and fixation of the RFID chip on the circuit pad, thereby improving the damage resistance of the RFID chip during the frame molding process of the protective frame. Another objective of this invention is to provide an electronic tag concealed within the body of an environmentally friendly reusable cup. The pair of extended antennas of the RFID tag are located diagonally opposite to the aperture-shaped main antenna of the metal film antenna. Each antenna extends continuously towards the distance with a roughly wavy, zigzag line segment and a meandering straight line. By using the pair of extended antennas to correspond to the aperture shape of the electromagnetic wave sensing space, the sensitivity of the aperture-shaped main antenna to electromagnetic wave signals is increased. Thus, the sensing frequency band and field pattern of the electromagnetic wave signal can be adjusted by the aperture size of the aperture-shaped main antenna and the groove width. Consequently, the reusable cup using this RFID tag can achieve highly sensitive long-distance reading within the operating frequency band. Another objective of this invention is to provide an electronic tag concealed within the body of an environmentally friendly reusable cup. The pair of extended antennas of the RFID tag extend from the aperture-shaped main antenna of the metal film antenna in a U-shape and an inverse U-shape, respectively, towards the far end. By using these extended antennas to correspond to the aperture shape of the electromagnetic wave sensing space, the sensitivity of the aperture-shaped main antenna to electromagnetic wave signals is increased. Thus, the sensing frequency band and field pattern of the electromagnetic wave signal can be adjusted by the aperture size of the aperture-shaped main antenna and the groove width. Consequently, the reusable cup using this RFID tag can achieve highly sensitive long-distance reading within the operating frequency band. 10: Circulating Cup 20: cup body 21: Cup body 210: Outer surface 211: Inner surface 22: Label Setting Department 23: Bottom of the cup 24: Liquid container chamber 240: Cup rim 25: Electromagnetic wave sensing space 30, 30A: Radio Frequency Identification Tags 31: Insulating substrate sheet 32, 32A: Metallic thin-film antenna 33, 33A: U-shaped main antenna 34A, 34B, 34C, 34D: Extended antennas 340A, 340B: Zigzag line segments 341A, 341B: Detour-line 342A: U-shaped extension line 342B: Inverted U-shaped extension line 35, 35A: Groove 36: Circuit pad 37: Encapsulating adhesive 40: Ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification chip 50: Guardrail 51: Frame 60: Plastic Injection Mold 61: Conical cylindrical male mold Figure 1 is a perspective view of the structure of the present invention. Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the structure of the present invention. Figure 3 is a three-dimensional structural view of the chip of an embodiment of the radio frequency identification tag of the present invention when disassembled. Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the structure of Part 3A of the system. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the chip adhesive structure of an embodiment of the radio frequency identification tag of the present invention. Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the structure of Part 5B of the series. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the state of the cup body of the present invention before it is embedded in a plastic injection mold. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the injection molding state of the protective frame after the cup body of the present invention is embedded in a plastic injection mold. Figure 9 is an enlarged view of the structure of Part 8C of the series. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the state of the cup body and protective frame after demolding according to the present invention. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of the structure of the present invention. Figure 12 Enlarged view of the structure of Part 11D of the series diagram. Figure 13 is a three-dimensional structural view of the chip of another embodiment of the radio frequency identification tag of the present invention when disassembled. Figure 14 is an enlarged view of the structure of Part 13E of the series. Figure 15 is a perspective view of the chip adhesive structure of another embodiment of the radio frequency identification tag of the present invention. Figure 16 shows an enlarged view of the structure of the 15F section of the series. Figure 17 shows the theoretical reading distance of the wireless radio frequency identification tag reading test according to the present invention. Figure 18 shows the theoretical reading distance of the present invention using another type of radio frequency identification tag for reading tests. To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides preferred embodiments and, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, provides a detailed description as follows: An electronic tag-hidden cup structure for an environmentally friendly reusable cup, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 11, is a reusable cup 10, comprising: a cup body 20, which is a cup body molded from food-grade plastic insulating material (ideally a conical cup body injection molded from polypropylene PP plastic material). On the exterior of the cup body 21, a tag setting portion 22 is provided on a portion of the outer surface 210. Inside, a liquid-containing cup chamber 24 is formed by an inner surface 211 and the bottom 23 of the cup. The liquid-containing cup chamber 24 corresponds to the depth position of the tag setting portion 22 and is defined as an electromagnetic wave sensing space 25. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag 30, as shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4, is affixed to the tag setting portion 22 of the cup body 20. It is a rectangular UHF electronic tag with a length and width falling within the range of the tag setting portion 22. It has an insulating substrate sheet 31 (which can be polyimide PI or polyethylene terephthalate PET sheet). A metal film antenna 32 (which can be an aluminum foil or copper foil film antenna) is provided on one end surface of the insulating substrate sheet 31. The metal film antenna 32 has a pair of extended antennas 34A and 34B extending distally from both sides of a mouth-shaped main antenna 33. A groove 35 is formed on the mouth-shaped main antenna 33 between the extended antennas 34A and 34B to form a loop. A UHF RFID chip 40 is electrically connected to the two sides of the groove 35 as loop pads 36. A protective frame 50, as shown in Figures 2, 7, and 8, is the RFID tag 30. After being affixed to the label setting part 22 on the cup body 20, it is embedded in a plastic injection mold 60. The plastic injection mold 60 is used to inject and form a frame 51 made of insulating plastic material (which may be acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer ABS, polypropylene PP, polyphenylene sulfide PPS or polycarbonate PC plastic material), as shown in Figures 10, 11 and 12. After the frame 51 is formed and demolded, it covers a part of the cup body 21 at the position of the label setting part 22 on the cup body 20, and the radio frequency identification tag 30 is hidden and embedded in the frame 51.As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the RFID tag 30 is hidden and embedded in the frame 51 of the protective frame 50, providing protection. Besides the fact that the RFID tag 30 is not susceptible to chemical damage, loss, or external force damage during cleaning of the circulation cup 10, the tag placement part 22 in the liquid-filling cup chamber 24 of the cup body 20, at a corresponding depth (a depth position of the liquid-filling cup chamber 24), serves as the electromagnetic wave sensing space 25. The RFID tag 30 is affixed (flattened) to the tag placement part 22, allowing the metal thin-film antenna 32 to be arranged around the electromagnetic wave sensing space 25 (see also Figure 2). The aperture-shaped main antenna 33 of the metal thin-film antenna 32 can establish an electromagnetic wave sensing resonant cavity in the electromagnetic wave sensing space 25, making electromagnetic wave signal transmission and reception less susceptible to interference. This also enables the reading device (not shown) to batch identify and read multiple circulation cups 10 (Note: the UHF RFID chip 40 allows batch identification and reading), achieving the benefit of stable long-distance reading. ; According to the above embodiments, preferably as shown in Figures 1, 2, 11, and 12, the cup body 21 of the cup body 20 is provided with the tag setting part 22 on the upper part of the cup body 21 outside the cup opening 240 of the liquid cup chamber 24, so that the electromagnetic wave sensing space 25 is formed near the cup opening 240 of the liquid cup chamber 24; the electromagnetic wave sensing space 25 is most able to sense electromagnetic wave signals near the cup opening 240, so that the radio frequency identification tag 30 can improve its ability to sense electromagnetic wave signals. According to the above embodiments, preferably as shown in Figures 2, 11, and 12, the radio frequency identification (RFID) tag 30 is adhered to the label placement portion 22 of the cup body 20 by adhesive on the surface of the metal thin-film antenna 32 containing the UHF RFID chip 40, as shown in Figures 8 and 9. This allows the UHF RFID chip 40 to withstand the impact of the injection and the mold flow temperature through the insulating substrate sheet 31 during the molding process of the protective frame 50, ensuring that the frame 50 covers the RFID tag 30 without damaging or harming the UHF RFID chip 40. As shown in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, the aforementioned... The UHF RFID chip 40 is electrically connected (can be surface-mount) to the circuit pad 36 of the metal film antenna 32 of the RFID tag 30. An encapsulant 37 (can be epoxy thermosetting adhesive) is fixed on the surface of the UHF RFID chip 40, which includes the circuit pad 36. The encapsulant 37 fixes the UHF RFID chip 40 to the circuit pad 36, thereby strengthening the electrical connection and fixation of the UHF RFID chip 40 on the circuit pad 36, as shown in Figures 8 and 9. This improves the damage resistance of the UHF RFID chip 40 during the molding (injection molding) process of the frame 51 of the protective frame 50. According to the above embodiments, optionally, as shown in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, the pair of extended antennas 34A and 34B of the RFID tag 30 are diagonally located on both sides of the aperture-shaped main antenna 33 of the metal film antenna 32, each extending continuously towards the far end with a corresponding approximately wavy, meandering line segment 340A, 340B and a meandering straight line 341A, 341B, as shown in Figures 2 and 11. By using the pair of extended antennas 34A and 34B to correspond to the aperture shape of the electromagnetic wave sensing space 25, the sensitivity of the aperture-shaped main antenna 33 to electromagnetic wave signals is increased, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. In this way, the sensing frequency band and field pattern of the electromagnetic wave signal can be adjusted by the aperture size of the aperture-shaped main antenna 33 and the groove width of the groove 35. Therefore, the circulating cup 10 using the RFID tag 30 can achieve a highly sensitive long-distance reading effect in the frequency band in use. That is, most countries or regions regulate electronic tags (RFID). The operating frequency band of the TAG (for example, the UHF RFID TAG used in Taiwan is 920~930MHz). The metal film antenna 32 of the RFID tag 30 is designed as shown in Figure 3. The sensing frequency band and field pattern of the electromagnetic wave signal are adjusted by the size of the aperture of the main antenna 33 and the width of the groove 35, as shown in Figure 11. The completed circulating cup 10 is tested for reading distance in a testing room. As shown in Figure 17, the theoretical reading distance of the circulating cup 10 in the 920~930MHz frequency band is 9.1~11 meters (m). The actual reading distance (due to the increased power of the equipment) is about 1.5 times the theoretical reading distance, which means that the reading distance in the 920~930MHz (Taiwan region) frequency band can reach at least 13 meters (m). As shown in Figure 11, it is confirmed that the RFID tag 30 on the circulating cup 10 is embedded in the frame 51 of the protective frame 50 and can indeed achieve a long-distance reading and identification effect. According to the above embodiments, optionally, as shown in Figures 13, 14, 15, and 16, the pair of extended antennas 34C and 34D of the RFID tag 30A are respectively formed by extending outwards on both sides of the aperture-shaped main antenna 33A of the metal film antenna 32A into a corresponding U-shaped extended line 342A and an inverse U-shaped extended line 342B; as shown in Figures 11, 13, and 14, by using the pair of extended antennas 34C and 34D to correspond to the aperture shape of the electromagnetic wave sensing space 25, the sensitivity of the aperture-shaped main antenna 33A to electromagnetic wave signals is increased. In this way, the sensing frequency band and field pattern of the electromagnetic wave signal can be adjusted by the aperture size of the aperture-shaped main antenna 33A and the slot width of the groove 35A, as shown in Figure 11. Furthermore, the circulating cup 10 using the RFID tag 30A can obtain a long-distance reading effect with high sensitivity in the operating frequency band; that is, the RFID tag The metal thin-film antenna 32A of the 30A is designed as shown in Figure 13. The induced frequency band and field pattern of the electromagnetic wave signal are adjusted by the size of the aperture of the main antenna 33A and the width of the groove 35A, as shown in Figure 11. The completed circulation cup 10 (with the same detection method as the previous embodiment) is tested for reading distance, as shown in Figure 18. It shows that the theoretical reading distance of the circulation cup 10 in the 920~930MHz frequency band is 8.3~8.8 meters (m). The actual reading distance (due to the increased power of the equipment) is about 1.5 times the theoretical reading distance, which means that the reading distance in the 920~930MHz (Taiwan region) frequency band can reach at least 12 meters (m). As shown in Figure 11, it is confirmed that the RFID tag 30A (equivalent to RFID tag 30) on the circulation cup 10 can achieve a long-distance reading and identification effect when embedded in the frame 51 of the protective frame 50. The above description is illustrative only and not restrictive for the purposes of this invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that many modifications, variations or equivalents can be made without departing from the spirit and scope defined in the appended specification, and all such modifications, variations or equivalents will fall within the protection scope of this invention. 10: Circulating Cup 20: cup body 21: Cup body 210: Outer surface 211: Inner surface 22: Label Setting Department 24: Liquid container chamber 240: Cup rim 25: Electromagnetic wave sensing space 30: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Tag 50: Guardrail 51: Frame

Claims

1. An eco-friendly reusable cup with an electronic tag hidden in its body structure, comprising: The cup body is molded from food-grade plastic insulating material. A label placement area is located on a portion of the outer surface of the cup body. Internally, an inner surface and the bottom of the cup together form a liquid-holding chamber, corresponding to the label placement area and defined as an electromagnetic wave sensing space. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is affixed to the label placement area on the cup body. This tag is a rectangular UHF electronic tag with a length and width falling within the range of the label placement area. It has an insulating substrate sheet, and a metal thin-film antenna is located on one end surface of the insulating substrate sheet. The antenna consists of a pair of extended antennas extending far from both sides of a main mouth-shaped antenna. A groove is formed on the main mouth-shaped antenna between the extended antennas to form a loop, and the two sides of the groove serve as circuit pads electrically connected to an ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification (RFID) chip. The protective frame is formed by embedding the RFID tag in a plastic injection mold after it is affixed to the tag setting part of the cup body. The frame is formed by injection molding of insulating plastic material by the plastic injection mold, and the frame covers a part of the cup body at the tag setting part position, hiding the RFID tag within the frame. As described in Request 1, the electronic tag of the environmentally friendly reusable cup is hidden in the cup body structure, wherein... The label setting part is provided on the cup body above the cup body outside the cup mouth of the liquid-containing cup chamber, so that the electromagnetic wave sensing space is formed near the cup mouth of the liquid-containing cup chamber. As described in Request 1, the electronic tag of the environmentally friendly reusable cup is hidden in the cup body structure, wherein... The radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is attached to the tag setting part of the cup body by adhesive on the metal thin film antenna surface containing the UHF RFID chip. As described in claim 3, the electronic tag of the environmentally friendly reusable cup is hidden in the cup body structure, wherein... The UHF RFID chip is electrically connected to the circuit pad of the metal film antenna of the RFID tag. An encapsulating adhesive is fixed on the surface of the UHF RFID chip containing the circuit pad, and the UHF RFID chip is encapsulated and fixed on the circuit pad. As described in Request 1, the electronic tag of the environmentally friendly reusable cup is hidden in the cup body structure, wherein... The pair of extended antennas of the RFID tag are located diagonally on both sides of the aperture-shaped main antenna of the metal film antenna, each extending continuously towards the far end with an approximately wavy, meandering line segment and a meandering straight line. As described in Request 1, the electronic tag of the environmentally friendly reusable cup is hidden in the cup body structure, wherein... The pair of extended antennas of the RFID tag are respectively a U-shaped extension line and an inverse U-shaped extension line extending towards the far end on both sides of the aperture-shaped main antenna of the metal film antenna.

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