The hidden structure of the electronic tag on the body of the reusable cup for wireless identification.

Abstract

A hidden electronic tag structure for wireless identification of a reusable cup is disclosed. The reusable cup includes: a tag holder, which is an insulated circular frame with an inner frame forming an electromagnetic induction space and an outer frame having a tag placement area; a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag attached to the tag placement area, which has a metal thin-film antenna on one surface of an insulating substrate, a pair of extended antennas extending from both sides of a mouth-shaped main antenna, and a groove, with the two sides of the groove serving as circuit pads electrically connected to an ultra-high frequency RFID chip; and a cup body, which is injection molded into shape using a plastic injection mold, and the cup body covers the tag holder and the RFID tag, with the inner surface of the cup body and the inner frame of the tag holder forming a liquid-containing chamber. The overall reusable cup structure enables the use of the RFID tag to avoid problems such as chemical resistance, detachment, and damage from external forces, and also improves the long-distance reading effect during batch identification.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a wireless radio frequency identification tag for reusable cups, which not only eliminates the problems of chemical resistance, detachment, and damage from external forces, but also improves the long-distance reading effect during batch identification, and has a hidden electronic tag structure on the cup body for wireless identification of reusable cups. [Previous Technology]

[0002] Over the past few decades, many businesses selling coffee, tea and other beverages have provided disposable cups for consumers, whether for dine-in or takeout. However, this has accumulated into an alarming amount of plastic pollution and waste.

[0003] As awareness of reducing plastic waste becomes more widespread, many businesses are gradually introducing different sales models to provide consumers with more environmentally friendly options. For example, Uni-President Enterprises Corporation, Starbucks, FamilyMart, PX Mart, KFC, McDonald's, etc. have begun to introduce "reusable cups" to reduce the waste caused by disposable beverage cups.

[0004] The so-called reusable cup (also known as "borrowed cup") is a cup provided by the business for consumers to hold drinks for takeaway. After use, the cup can be returned to a designated recycling point within a certain period of time (such as a chain store). The used cups will be cleaned by a professional manufacturer for reuse. No plastic or paper cups will be used in the process, and consumers can enjoy the convenience of buying drinks whenever they want.

[0005] Although the policy of using “recycled cups” can reduce the waste and pollution caused by disposable beverage cups, the ease of borrowing and returning “recycled cups” and the adequacy of cleaning and inspection are the main factors for the popularization of this waste reduction policy. Among them, the ability of each “recycled cup” to be independently identified is a basic requirement for the implementation of this system in the management or control system of “recycled cups” use, tracking and cleaning (hygiene) inspection.

[0006] Conventional methods of attaching barcodes (one-dimensional or two-dimensional barcodes) to "recycle cups" are not ideal for identification because the "recycle cups" may be difficult to scan or fail due to stains or damage during the circulation process. Furthermore, the barcode stickers are not resistant to chemicals or cleaning, and cannot be scanned and identified in batches at a distance during the cleaning process.

[0007] 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, the electronic tags must be attached to the surface of the "recycling cup" or placed in other spatial locations. Conditions such as being difficult to damage, chemically resistant, easy to clean, capable of long-distance reading, and capable of batch reading must be considered in order to truly meet the actual needs. [Summary of the Invention]

[0008] The main objective of this invention is to provide a hidden electronic tag structure for wireless identification on the body of a reusable cup. The reusable cup includes: a tag holder, which is a circular frame-shaped base made of food-grade plastic insulating material. An inner frame surrounds an electromagnetic induction space, while a portion of the outer frame serves as a tag placement area. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is affixed to the tag placement area of ​​the tag holder. This tag is a rectangular UHF RFID tag with a length and width falling within the range of the tag placement area, and has a... An insulating substrate sheet has a metal thin-film antenna on one end surface. This metal thin-film antenna consists of a pair of extended antennas extending distally from both sides of a main, rounded antenna. A groove is formed on the main, rounded antenna between the extended antennas to create a loop. The two sides of this groove serve as circuit pads for electrically connecting an ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification (RFID) chip. A cup-shaped body is formed by attaching an RFID tag to a tag holder and embedding it in a plastic injection mold. The plastic injection mold uses food-grade plastic insulation. A cup body is injection molded from material. This cup body has a casing that covers the label holder and the RFID tag, concealing the RFID tag within the cup body's inner wall. The inner surface of the cup body's inner wall is flush with the inner frame of the label holder, and the inner surface of the inner wall connects to the inner frame and the bottom of the cup to form a liquid-containing chamber. The electromagnetic induction space is located within this liquid-containing chamber. The RFID tag's concealment within the cup body's inner wall provides protection, except during cup cleaning. In addition to the absence of issues such as chemical resistance, loss, or damage from external forces, the label holder's electromagnetic wave sensing space is located within the liquid-containing cup chamber. Furthermore, the radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is affixed to the label setting portion of the label holder, and the metal thin-film antenna is positioned around the electromagnetic wave sensing space. The aperture-shaped main antenna of the metal thin-film antenna can be used to establish an electromagnetic wave sensing confluence cavity in the electromagnetic wave sensing space, making electromagnetic wave signal transmission and reception less susceptible to interference. This also enables the reading device to identify and read multiple circulating cups in batches, achieving the benefit of stable reading over long distances.

[0009] A second objective of the present invention is to provide a hidden electronic tag structure for wireless identification of a reusable cup, wherein the tag holder is configured as a conical frame-shaped base, such that the electromagnetic wave sensing space formed by the inner frame is a conical hole, and the two ends of the axial direction have a large-diameter frame opening and a small-diameter frame opening respectively; when the plastic injection mold is used to inject and form the cup body, the tag holder is embedded in the plastic injection mold during the operation process, the plastic injection mold forms a conical cylindrical male mold of the liquid-containing cup chamber of the cup body, and by the large-diameter frame opening of the tag holder being larger than the end diameter of the conical cylindrical male mold, the tag holder can easily complete the fitting and positioning operation on the conical cylindrical male mold; and the taper ratio of the conical hole of the electromagnetic wave sensing space of the tag holder is 1:2 to 1:9, so that the diameter of the large-diameter frame opening is neither too small nor too large compared to the end diameter of the conical cylindrical male mold.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide a hidden electronic tag structure for a reusable cup with wireless identification, wherein the radio frequency identification tag is adhered to the tag setting part of the tag holder by adhesive on the metal thin film antenna surface containing the ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification chip, so that when the cup body is injection molded, the ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification chip can withstand the impact of the injection and the mold flow temperature through the insulating substrate sheet, so that the cup body wall covers the radio frequency identification tag during the cup body molding process without damage. This could damage the UHF radio frequency identification (RFID) chip. Furthermore, the UHF RFID chip is electrically connected to the circuit pad of the metal film antenna of the aforementioned RFID tag. An encapsulating adhesive is fixed to the surface of the UHF RFID chip, including the circuit pad, thus encapsulating and fixing the UHF RFID chip to the circuit pad. The encapsulating adhesive strengthens the fixation of the UHF RFID chip on the circuit pad, thereby improving the chip's resistance to damage during the cup body molding process.

[0011] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a hidden structure for an electronic tag on the body of a reusable cup for wireless identification. The pair of extended antennas of the RFID tag are respectively extended to the far end on both sides of the aperture-shaped main antenna of the metal film antenna to form a corresponding U-shaped extended line and an inverse U-shaped extended line. By the pair of extended antennas echoing the aperture shape of the electromagnetic wave sensing space, the sensitivity of the aperture-shaped main antenna 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 and the groove width. As a result, the reusable cup using the RFID tag can achieve a long-distance reading effect with high sensitivity in the frequency band in use.

[0012] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a hidden structure for an electronic tag on the body of a reusable cup for wireless identification. 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 extending continuously towards the far end with an approximately wavy, meandering 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 the RFID tag can achieve a highly sensitive long-distance reading effect within the operating frequency band. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0041] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the structure of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the structure of the present invention.

[0043] 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.

[0044] Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the structure of part 3A.

[0045] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the chip adhesive structure of an embodiment of a wireless radio frequency identification tag according to the present invention.

[0046] Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the structure of part 5B of the series diagram.

[0047] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the state of the label holder of the present invention before it is embedded in a plastic injection mold.

[0048] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the cup body injection molding state after the label holder of the present invention is embedded in a plastic injection mold.

[0049] Figure 8A is an enlarged view of the structure of part 8C.

[0050] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the state of the cup body of the present invention when it is demolded.

[0051] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the structure of the present invention.

[0052] Figure 11 is an enlarged view of the structure of part 10D in Figure 11.

[0053] Figure 12 is a three-dimensional structural view of the chip of another embodiment of the radio frequency identification tag of the present invention when disassembled.

[0054] Figure 13 is an enlarged view of the structure of part E in Figure 12.

[0055] Figure 14 is a perspective view of the chip adhesive structure of another embodiment of the radio frequency identification tag of the present invention.

[0056] Figure 15 is an enlarged view of the structure of part 14F.

[0057] Figure 16 is a display diagram of the theoretical reading distance of the present invention using a wireless radio frequency identification tag for reading test.

[0058] Figure 17 is a display diagram of the theoretical reading distance of the present invention using another type of radio frequency identification tag for reading test.

Implementation Method

[0059] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides preferred embodiments, which are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0060] A hidden electronic tag structure for wireless identification of a reusable cup, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, is a reusable cup 10, comprising: a tag holder 20, which is a circular frame-shaped holder made of food-grade plastic insulating material (ideally a circular frame-shaped holder made of polypropylene PP plastic material injection molding), wherein an electromagnetic wave sensing space 22 is formed inside by an inner frame surface 21, and a tag setting part 24 is formed on the outside by a portion of the surface of an outer frame surface 23; and a radio frequency identification tag 30, as shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4, which is affixed to the tag setting part 24 of the tag holder 20, and is a rectangular tag whose length and width fall within the range of the tag setting part 24. The high-frequency electronic tag has an insulating substrate sheet 31 (which may be a polyimide PI or polyethylene terephthalate PET sheet). A metal thin-film antenna 32 (which may be an aluminum foil or copper foil thin-film antenna) is provided on one end surface of the insulating substrate sheet 31. The metal thin-film antenna 32 has a pair of extended antennas 34A and 34B extending far from both sides of a mouth-shaped main antenna 33. A groove 35 is formed on the mouth-shaped main antenna 33 between the pair of extended antennas 34A and 34B to form a loop. The two sides of the groove 35 serve as loop pads 36 for electrical connection to an ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification chip 40 (UHF). RRID IC); A cup body 50, as shown in Figures 2, 7, and 8, is formed by attaching the RFID tag 30 to the tag holder 20 (the tag setting part 24) and embedding it in a plastic injection mold 60. The plastic injection mold 60 is formed by injection molding with food-grade plastic insulating material (ideally polypropylene PP plastic material), as shown in Figures 9, 10, and 11 after demolding. The cup body 50 has a cup body 51 that covers the tag holder 20 and the RFID tag 30, so that the RFID tag 30 is hidden and embedded in the flesh wall of the cup body 51. The inner surface 510 of the flesh wall of the cup body 51 is flush with the inner frame surface 21 of the tag holder 20. The inner surface 510 of the flesh wall connects the inner frame surface 21 and the bottom of the cup 52 to form a liquid-filling cup chamber 53, so that the electromagnetic wave sensing space 22 is located in the liquid-filling cup chamber 53.As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the RFID tag 30, hidden within the flesh wall of the cup body 51 of the cup body 50, provides protection. Besides the fact that the RFID tag 30 is not susceptible to chemical damage, loss, or external force damage during cleaning of the circulating cup 10, the electromagnetic wave sensing space 22 of the tag holder 20 is located within the liquid-containing cup chamber 53. Furthermore, the RFID tag 30 is affixed to the tag placement portion 24 of the tag holder 20. The metal thin-film antenna 32 is positioned around the electromagnetic wave sensing space 22 (see Figure 2). The aperture-shaped main antenna 33 of the metal thin-film antenna 32 can establish an electromagnetic wave sensing cavity in the electromagnetic wave sensing space 22, making electromagnetic wave signal transmission and reception less susceptible to interference. This also allows the reading device (not shown) to batch identify and read multiple circulating cups 10 (Note: the UHF RFID chip 40 allows batch identification and reading), achieving the benefit of stable long-distance reading.

[0061] According to the above embodiment, preferably, as shown in Figures 2 and 7, the label holder 20 is configured as a conical frame-shaped seat, such that the electromagnetic wave sensing space 22 formed by the inner frame surface 21 is configured as a conical hole, and the two ends of the axial direction have a large-diameter frame opening 25 and a small-diameter frame opening 26 respectively; as shown in Figures 7, 8, and 9, when the plastic injection mold 60 is used to injection mold the cup body 50, the label holder 20 is embedded in the plastic injection mold 60 during the operation process, and the plastic injection mold 60 forms a conical cylindrical male mold 61 (which is a matching electromagnetic wave sensing space of the label holder 20) for the liquid-containing cup chamber 53 of the cup body 50. The label holder 20 has a conical core with a tapered hole (22mm conical hole). By using the fact that the diameter D1 of the large-diameter frame 25 of the label holder 20 is greater than the diameter D2 of the end of the conical core 61, the label holder 20 can easily complete the fitting and positioning operation on the conical core 61. As shown in Figure 7, the taper ratio C of the conical hole of the electromagnetic induction space 22 of the label holder 20 is 1:2 to 1:9 (that is, the taper ratio C is equal to the large-diameter frame diameter D1 minus the large-diameter frame diameter d1 divided by the taper length L; C=D1-d1 / L), so that the diameter D1 of the large-diameter frame 25 is neither too small nor too large compared to the diameter D2 of the end of the conical core 61.

[0062] According to the above embodiments, preferably, as shown in Figures 2, 10, and 11, the radio frequency identification tag 30 is glued to the metal thin film antenna 32 containing the ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification chip 40 and attached to the tag setting part 24 of the tag holder 20, as shown in Figures 8 and 8A. This allows the ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification chip 40 to withstand the impact of the injection and the mold flow temperature through the insulating substrate sheet 31, achieving the molding process where the cup body 51 encloses the radio frequency identification tag 30 without damaging or harming the ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification chip 40; as shown in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6. Furthermore, 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 aforementioned RFID tag 30. An encapsulating adhesive 37 (can be epoxy thermosetting adhesive) is fixed on the surface of the UHF RFID chip 40, which includes the circuit pad 36, to encapsulate and fix the UHF RFID chip 40 onto the circuit pad 36. The encapsulating adhesive 37 strengthens the electrical connection and fixation of the UHF RFID chip 40 on the circuit pad 36, as shown in Figures 8 and 8A, so that the UHF RFID chip 40 has improved damage resistance during the molding (injection molding) process of the cup body 51.

[0063] 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 respectively extended to the far end on both sides of the aperture-shaped main antenna 33 of the metal film antenna 32 to form a corresponding U-shaped extended line 340A and an inverse U-shaped extended line 340B; as shown in Figures 2 and 10, by means of the pair of extended antennas 34A and 34B corresponding to the aperture shape of the electromagnetic wave sensing space 22, 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, as shown in Figure 10. Furthermore, the circulating cup 10 using the RFID tag 30 can obtain a long-distance reading effect with high sensitivity in the frequency band in use; that is, most countries or regions regulate electronic tags (RFID). The operating frequency band of the TAG (UHF RFID 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 10. The completed circulating cup 10 is tested for reading distance in a testing room. As shown in Figure 16, the theoretical reading distance of the circulating 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 10, it is confirmed that the RFID tag 30 on the circulating cup 10 is embedded in the cup body 51 and can indeed achieve a long-distance reading and identification effect.

[0064] According to the above embodiment, optionally, as shown in Figures 12, 13, 14, and 15, the pair of extended antennas 34C and 34D of the RFID tag 30A are diagonally located on both sides of the aperture-shaped main antenna 33A of the metal film antenna 32A, each extending continuously towards the far end with an approximately wavy, meandering line segment 341A, 341B and a meandering straight line 342A, 342B; as shown in Figures 10, 12, and 13, by means of the pair of extended antennas 34C and 34D corresponding to the aperture shape of the electromagnetic wave sensing space 22, 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 groove width of the groove 35A. Furthermore, the circulating cup 10 can use the RFID tag 30A to obtain long-distance readings with high sensitivity in the frequency band in use. The effect is as follows: the metal film antenna 32A of the RFID tag 30A is designed as shown in Figure 12. By adjusting the aperture size of the main antenna 33A and the groove width of the groove 35A, the sensing frequency band and field pattern of the electromagnetic wave signal are adjusted, as shown in Figure 10. The completed circulation cup 10 (with the same detection method as the previous embodiment) is then tested for reading distance, as shown in Figure 17. It shows that the theoretical reading distance of the circulation 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 10, it is confirmed that the RFID tag 30A (equivalent to RFID tag 30) embedded in the cup body 51 on the circulation cup 10 can indeed achieve a long-distance reading and identification effect.

[0065] The above description is illustrative only and not restrictive for the present 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, but all such modifications, variations or equivalents will fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hidden electronic tag structure on the body of a reusable cup for wireless identification, comprising: A label holder is a circular frame-shaped base made of food-grade plastic insulating material. An inner frame encloses an electromagnetic wave sensing space, while a portion of an outer frame serves as a label mounting area. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, affixed to the label mounting area of ​​the label holder, is a rectangular UHF electronic tag with a length and width falling within the area of ​​the label mounting area. It has an insulating substrate sheet, with a metal film antenna on one end surface. The metal film antenna has a pair of extended antennas extending distally from both sides of a main aperture antenna, and a groove is formed between the extended antennas and the aperture antenna. A loop is formed, and an ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification (RFID) chip is electrically connected to the two sides of the trench as loop pads. A cup body is formed by embedding the RFID tag in a plastic injection mold after it is attached to the tag holder. The cup body is formed by injection molding of food-grade plastic insulating material by the plastic injection mold. The cup body has a cup body that covers the tag holder and the RFID tag, so that the RFID tag is hidden and embedded in the cup body wall. The inner surface of the cup body wall is flush with the inner frame surface of the tag holder. The inner surface of the cup body wall connects the inner frame surface and the bottom of the cup to form a liquid-containing cup chamber, so that the electromagnetic wave sensing space is located in the liquid-containing cup chamber.

2. The hidden electronic tag structure on the cup body for wireless identification of the reusable cup as described in claim 1, wherein, The label holder is configured as a conical frame, so that the electromagnetic wave sensing space formed by the inner frame is a conical hole, and the two ends of the axis have a large-diameter frame opening and a small-diameter frame opening respectively.

3. The hidden electronic tag structure on the cup body for wireless identification of the reusable cup as described in claim 2, wherein, The taper ratio of the conical aperture in the radio wave sensing space of the label holder is 1:2 to 1:

9.

4. The hidden electronic tag structure on the cup body for wireless identification of the reusable cup as described in claim 1, wherein, The radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is attached to the tag mounting part of the tag holder by adhesive on the metal thin film antenna surface containing the UHF RFID chip.

5. The hidden electronic tag structure on the cup body for wireless identification of the reusable cup as described in claim 4, 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.

6. The hidden electronic tag structure on the cup body for wireless identification of the reusable cup as described in claim 1, 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 from both sides of the aperture-shaped main antenna of the metal film antenna towards the far end.

7. The hidden electronic tag structure on the cup body for wireless identification of the reusable cup as described in claim 1, 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.

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