This application claims the priorities of Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-156781 filed on May 26, 2004, which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an affixing method of RFID label and its affixing apparatus. More specifically, it relates to a method to affix an RFID label, which is provided with an antenna coil and an IC chip and capable of transmitting information to and from an external device through non-contact communication, to an object-to-affix such as a container or the like and its affixing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally bar-code has been used for stock management or sales management of a product. Recently, instead of this, use of a non-contact ID tag, which is capable of transmitting information through non-contact communication, has been increasing. This is an insulated substrate provided with an antenna coil and an IC chip, and capable of non-contact type information communication using electric wave. A resonance circuit is formed with the antenna coil, the IC chip and a capacitance element, and by receiving electric wave (information) from a writing mechanism disposed externally, it is capable of writing the information on the IC chip. Upon receiving electric wave from an external device (a reading mechanism), the information stored on the IC chip is sent to the external device.
Recently, an RFID label, united with a non-contact ID tag (also referred to an ID tag hereinafter) and a display label, as described above, has been used. An RFID label is provided with a display section for product information on a surface thereof, and an adhesive surface to adhere with an ID tag and to affix a product on a back surface thereof. By affixing an RFID label to a product, the product information can be read through non-contact communication, and thus it is useful for product management.
A sectional drawing and a back surface drawing of an RFID label 112 as describe above are shown in
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-298104
The RFID tag 112 is affixed to a product. On a label affixing step, after separated off along a line-to-separate b to the individual RFID tag 112, the RFID tag is affixed to the product. This label affixing step is usually conducted by a manufacturer of the product to be an object-to-affix. Information printed on the label surface has permanent product information and such as a product name, a manufacturer name or the like, and updated product information such as date of manufacture, expiry date or the like. As shown in
A printing method for additional display can be, for example, printing under pressing force such as sealing or the like, printing by pressing hot types, printing by laser or the like. Printing as described above had a problem that a non-defective ID tag 109 could be destroyed, in case that the non-defective ID tag was positioned on where additional display was printed, since heat or pressure could be applied or energy of laser could be reached. Thus, after printing the additional display, it was necessary to apply a test to the ID tag again. That is, it was necessary to apply a test for the ID tag twice, once at a manufacturing factory of the RFID label and once at its affixing site. As a result of the test, if the ID tag was recognized as defective, its display label 105 had to be discarded, causing increase of the production cost. Also, in case that change in display information of the label occurred, the ID tag preliminarily united with the label had to be discarded as well.
With the above described situations in the background, the present invention is conducted, and especially aims to provide an affixing method of RFID label and its affixing apparatus, wherein an ID tag is difficult to be damaged by printing additional display on a label, more than two tests of the ID tag are not required, and solving a problem that the ID tag preliminarily united has to be discarded in case that the label can not be used since the display information is changed.
In order to solve the above problems, an affixing method of an RFID label of the present invention, comprises:
(a)preparing more than one display label having a display section on a front surface thereof and an adhesive surface on a back surface thereof and more than one ID tag including an antenna coil and an IC chip so as to transmit information to and from an external device through non-contact communication;
(b) writing predetermined information on said IC chips of said ID tags, and then applying a reading test so as to separate non-defective ID tags having said information properly readable from defective ID tags having said information properly unreadable;
(c) printing additional display on a surface of said display label, and then affixing said non-defective ID tag on said adhesive surface thereof so as to form an RFID label having the non-defective ID tag and the printed display label united; and
(d) affixing said RFID label to an object-to-affix such as a container.
In the present invention, a display label and a ID tag are stored in a state of being separated preliminarily. Additional display is printed on the display label, whereas a test of the ID tag is conducted so as to eliminate a defective ID tag. Then, right before affixing to a product, a non-defective ID tag and the display label having the additional display printed are laminated. In this way, though additional display is printed, pressure or heat would not applied on the ID tag, so as that the ID tag would not be damaged. Also, in case of change of display information, only the display label will be discarded, and it is not necessary to discard the expensive ID tag. Further, it is necessary to apply a test of the ID tag only right before affixing to a product, and a test is not always necessary by the manufacturer of the RFID label, and therefore cost reduction can be realized.
Also, in order to solve the above problems, an affixing apparatus of an RFID label of the present invention is configured, wherein:
a plurality of ID tags, including an antenna coil and an IC chip so as to transmit information to and from an external device through non-contact communication, are prepared to be aligned on a tape-shaped first releasing member through adhesive; and
a plurality of display labels, having a display section on a front surface thereof and a adhesive surface on a back surface thereof, are prepared to be aligned on a tape-shaped second releasing member through adhesive, comprising:
(a) a tag supplying mechanism supplying said ID tag by winding up said first releasing member;
(b) a label supplying mechanism supplying said display label by winding up said second releasing member;
(c) a writing mechanism writing predetermined information on said ID tag;
(d) a testing mechanism applying a reading test on the written information;
(e) a defective eliminating mechanism eliminating the ID tag distinguished as defective by said testing mechanism
(f) a printing mechanism printing additional display on a predetermined position of said display label;
(g)a tag conveying drum having a plurality of tag sticking sections on a surface thereof so as to stick said non-defective ID tag supplied by said tag supplying mechanism, and conveying said non-detective ID tag by rotation thereof;
(h) a label conveying drum, positioned so as that a rotation axis thereof is in parallel with that of said tag conveying drum and also that a surface thereof is contiguous with that of said tag conveying drum, sticking the printed display label supplied by said label supplying mechanism on a surface thereof and conveying said display label by rotation thereof and
(i)an object-to-affix conveying mechanism, positioned so as to be contiguous with said label conveying drum, conveying an object-to-affix of said display label and said ID tag, wherein:
said writing mechanism, said testing mechanism and said defective eliminating mechanism are positioned in approximately parallel with said first releasing member, respectively writing said information, applying said reading test and conducting said defective elimination during transfer of said ID tag according to winding up of the first releasing member, so as to supply only said non-defective tag to said tag conveying drum;
in a contiguous area of said tag conveying drum and said label conveying drum, said non-defective ID tag is released from said tag conveying drum and then affixed to the adhesive surface of said display label, so as to form an RFID label united of the printed display label and the non-defective ID tag, and then said RFID label is conveyed having the display label side thereof stuck to said label conveying drum; and
in a contiguous area of said object-to-affix conveying mechanism and said label convey drum, said RFID label is released from said label convey drum and then affixed to said object-to-affix.
The above label supplying mechanism and the tag supplying mechanism supplies a display label or an ID tag, for example, as follows. First the display label or the ID tag is prepared in a state of being arrayed on a tape-shaped releasing member in a predetermined interval also through adhesive. This releasing member means a member, being made of paper, film or the like, in a state that the display label and ID tag adhered thereto through adhesive can be easily released. One example of this is release paper. Also, “in a state of being arrayed” means being adhered in a state of that the display label or the ID tag is arrayed on a tape-shaped releasing member in a predetermined interval, and also on a unified side and in a unified direction. The releasing member is typically stored in a roll shape. By winding up the releasing member, and also bending it to a sharp angle, the display label or the ID tag is released to be supplied. In this specification, a first releasing member means a releasing member used for a tag supplying mechanism, and a second releasing member means a releasing member used for a label supplying mechanism.
Also, the present invention is provided with a tag conveying drum and a label conveying drum, and an ID tag or a display label is stuck on each drum surface. For example, a method is used, where forming small holes on the drum surface and giving negative pressure inside the drum, the ID tag or the display label is stuck on the holes. On the drum surface of the tag conveying drum, a tag sticking section is formed to stick the ID tag, and on the drum surface of the label conveying drum, a label sticking section is formed to stick a display label. These two drums rotate in the constant direction having their rotation axes parallel with each other, and also disposed in a position that the drum surfaces are contiguous with each other. The ID tag is supplied to the tag conveying drum, and the display label is supplied to the label conveying drum, and they are stuck on the drum surfaces and also conveyed according to rotation of each drum.
On the other hand, the present invention is provided with a writing mechanism of production information to an ID tag, and a testing mechanism to apply a reading test of the information, and a defective eliminating mechanism. By these mechanisms non-defective ID tags are selected. In case that an ID tag is supplied using a releasing member, it is preferable to dispose the writing mechanism, the testing mechanism and the defective eliminating mechanism approximately parallel with the releasing member. That is, the writing mechanism and the testing mechanism are disposed a little apart form the releasing member, so as to be capable of transmitting electric wave to and from the ID tag. This configuration allows writing, a reading test and defective elimination on the releasing member, so as to supply only a non-defective tag to the tag conveying drum.
Further the present invention is provided with a printing mechanism to print additional display to a display label. Printing is conducted in a state that an ID tag is not adhered thereon. In a contiguous area of the tag conveying drum and the label conveying drum, a non-defective ID tag and a display label having additional display printed are conveyed so as to contact with each other. The non-defective ID tag is released from the tag conveying drum, and then adhered on a back surface of the display label (adhesive surface), so as to become a united RFID label. The RFID label is conveyed in a state of having a surface thereof stuck on the label conveying drum.
Further the present invention is provided with an object-to-affix conveying mechanism to convey a product as an object-to-affix of a label. For this, for example, a star wheel, having a holder for the product and rotating in a constant direction, or a conveyer is used. The object-to-affix conveying mechanism is disposed in a contiguous position with the label conveying drum. An RFID label conveyed from the label conveying drum and a product conveyed from the object-to-affix conveying mechanism contact with each other in this contiguous area, and then the RFID label is released from the label conveying drum so as to be affixed on the product.
Whereas eliminating a defective ID tag on a releasing member causes a problem that an ID tag is not supplied successively. As a result, since an area having no ID tag existing on the tag conveying drum (tag absent area) occurs, a rotational movement of the tag conveying drum at a constant speed prevents an ID tag from being adhered to a display label. The first solution for this problem is to provide with a mechanism to increase rotation speed of the tag conveying drum, when the tag absent area contacts with the display label, so as to forward the next ID tag earlier (rotation speed adjusting mechanism). In this method, supplying speeds of the ID tag and the display label are set to a constant. In an affixing apparatus applied with this method, especially in order to adhere an ID tag and a display label smoothly, a special mechanism is adopted. More specifically, a tag pressing member is provided inside the tag conveying drum, and an end portion of the tag pressing member is exposed within the tag sticking section so as to contact with the ID tag. The tag pressing member can be in two states, a protruding state having the end portion protruding from the drum surface, and a non-protruding state having the end portion approximately level with the drum surface. When the ID tag and the display label are contacted, the tag pressing member is turned to be in the protruding state, so as to press the ID tag against the display label. In case that the ID tag and the tag absent section are contacted, as explained above, the rotation speed of the tag conveying drum increases, and also the tag pressing member is turned to be in the non-protruding state.
The second solution for the above problem is a method to increase a winding up speed of the releasing member after a defective ID tag is eliminated on the releasing member. For example, in case that one defective ID tag is eliminated, the winding up speed is multiplied by two, and in case that two defective ID tags are eliminated successively, the winding up speed is multiplied by three. This enables to provide a non-defective ID tag to the tag conveying drum at a constant interval, so as that no tag absent section is formed on the tag conveying drum. In case of adopting this method, rotation speeds of the tag conveying drum and the label conveying drum are set to a constant.
The third solution for the above problem is to adjust a rotation speed of the tag conveying drum, by having a non-defective ID tag being stuck on the tag conveying drum and standing by, so as to synchronize with a display label to be adhered. More specifically, a rotation speed of the tag conveying drum can be set to one of the same as a winding up speed of the first releasing member, a rotation speed of the label conveying drum and nil. The winding up speed of the first releasing member and the rotation speed of the label conveying drum are set to a constant. When an ID tag is stuck on the tag sticking section and adhered on a display label, the rotation speed of the tag conveying drum is set to the same as that of the label conveying drum. This allows the ID tag to be adhered with the display label smoothly. After this, the rotation speed of the tag conveying drum is changed to the same as the winding up speed of the first releasing label. This allows the ID tag to be stuck on a tag sticking section smoothly. Then, this tag sticking section is stopped right before the contiguous area of the tag conveying drum and the label conveying drum, so as to be synchronized with the display label to be adhered. After that, the tag conveying drum starts to rotate according to the rotation speed of the label conveying drum. On the other hand, in case that a defective ID tag is eliminated on the releasing member, an ID tag is not supplied on the tag sticking section as supposed to, and a non-defective ID tag is supplied on another tag sticking section subsequent to this tag sticking section. For example, in case that one defective ID tag is eliminated, a non-defective ID tag is supplied on a tag sticking section which is one tag sticking section after and, in case that two defective ID tags are eliminated successively, a non-defective ID tag is supplied on a tag sticking section which is two tag sticking sections after. Then, this tag sticking section is stopped in the contiguous area of the tag conveying drum and the label conveying drum. That is, substantially the standing-by position of the tag conveying drum changes.
Also, the fourth solution for the above problem is to pull out an object-to-affix having no RFID label affixed on the way of production line. An RFID label is to be affixed again to the object-to-affix pulled out. More specifically, an object-to-affix eliminating mechanism and a control device (a microcomputer or the like is used) controlling the object-to-affix eliminating mechanism and a label supplying mechanism are provided. Also, a winding up speed of the releasing member, a rotation speed of the tag conveying drum and a conveying speed of the object-to-affix are set to a constant. In case that eliminating a defective ID tag on the releasing member causes a tag absent area having no ID tag existing on a tag sticking section, in order to prevent the display label from contacting with the tag absent area, supply of the corresponding display label is stopped. That is, when the display label corresponding to the tag absent area is supplied, the control device sends a supply stop signal to the label supplying mechanism. This prevents forming of an RFID label, and causes an area having nothing stuck to (label absent area) on the label conveying drum. The label absent area contacts with an object-to-affix, resulting in that no RFID label is affixed on the object-to-affix. Therefore, it is necessary to pull out this object-to-affix on the way.
Also, another configuration of an affixing apparatus of an RFID label relating to the present invention is configured, wherein:
ID tags, including an antenna coil and an IC chip so as to transmit information to and from an external device through non-contact communication, is prepared in a sheet-fed form; and
a plurality of display labels, having a display section on a front surface thereof and a adhesive surface on a back surface thereof, are aligned on a tape-shaped releasing member through adhesive, comprising:
(a) a tag supplying mechanism supplying said ID tags in a sheet-fed order;
(b) a label supplying mechanism supplying said display label;
(c) a writing mechanism writing predetermined information on said ID tag;
(d) a testing mechanism applying a reading test on the written information;
(e) a defective eliminating mechanism eliminating the ID tag distinguished as defective by said testing mechanism
(f) a printing mechanism printing additional display on a predetermined position of said display label;
(g) a tag selecting drum sticking said ID tag supplied by said tag supplying mechanism, conveying said ID tag by rotation thereof and applying the information writing, the reading test and the defective elimination during transfer, so as to select a non-defective ID tag;
(h)a tag conveying drum, positioned so as that a rotation axis thereof is in parallel with that of said tag selecting drum and also that a surface thereof is contiguous with that of said tag selecting drum therefore in a contiguous area with said tag selecting drum said non-defective ID tag is released from said tag selecting drum and then transferred to a drum surface thereof having a plurality of tag sticking sections sticking said non-defective ID tag thereon, conveying said non-detective ID tag by rotation thereof;
(i) a label conveying drum, positioned so as that a rotation axis thereof is in parallel with that of said tag conveying drum and also that a surface thereof is contiguous with that of said tag conveying drum, sticking the printed display label supplied by said label supplying mechanism on a surface thereof and conveying said display label by rotation thereof and
(j) an object-to-affix conveying mechanism, positioned so as to be contiguous with said label conveying drum, conveying an object-to-affix of said display label and said ID tag, wherein:
in a contiguous area of said tag conveying drum and said label conveying drum, said non-defective ID tag is released from said tag conveying drum and then affixed to the adhesive surface of said display label, so as to form an RFID label united of the printed display label and the non-defective ID tag, and then said RFID label is conveyed having the display label side thereof stuck to said label conveying drum; and in a contiguous area of said object-to-affix conveying mechanism and said label conveying drum said RFID label is released from said label conveying drum and then affixed to said object-to-affix.
An individual ID tag can be prepared in a sheet-fed form. In this case, a mechanism to array ID tag on a unified side and in a unified direction and also to supply the arrayed ID tag is required. This can be realized by using so-called parts feeder.
Inside of the above parts feeder, writing procedure, a testing procedure and defective eliminating procedure can be conducted, but it is usually difficult due to constraint of the device. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct the above procedures outside of the parts feeder. However, a tag conveying drum sometimes increases its rotation speed since an ID tag is not supplied successively, and thus operates irregularly. It is difficult to conduct the writing procedure or the like on the tag conveying mechanism operating irregularly. Therefore, in case that the parts feeder is used, it is preferable to provide with a drum that rotates at a constant speed, and being capable of conducting the writing procedure, the reading test procedure and the elimination procedure of the ID tag (tag selecting drum).
Even when the parts feeder is used, a problem, that a non-defective ID tag can not be supplied successively to the tag conveying drum, occurs similarly to the case that an ID tag is supplied using a releasing member. As a solution for this, it is possible to adopt the above mentioned first to fourth solutions. For example, while in the third solution mentioned above, the rotation speed of the label conveying drum is set to the same as the winding up speed of the first releasing member, it can be set to the same as the rotation speed of the tag selecting drum instead. Also, while in the fourth solution mentioned above the winding up speed of the first releasing member is set to a constant, the rotation speed of the tag selecting drum can be set to a constant instead.
According to the above explained affixing apparatus, an ID tag and a display label are separated so as that printing additional display on the display label would not cause damage to the ID tag. Also, a test of the ID tag is not conducted right before affixing to a product, so as to realize cost reduction by omitting adjustment operations such as a testing process, elimination of a defective ID tag, re-connection of a roll or the like in an ID tag manufacturing factory.
Best modes for carrying out the present invention will be explained using figures, as follows.
A schematic drawing of an affixing method of an RFID label relating to the present invention is shown in
Referring
In an embodiment of
Writing and a reading test to an ID tag 3 are conducted on a releasing member 14. That is, a writing mechanism 12 writes predetermined information by sending electric wave, and a testing mechanism 25 applies a reading test to the information. A defective eliminating mechanism 13, as shown in
Adhesive 23 on an ID tag 3 is applied either only on a peripheral part (
Oh the other hand, as shown in
Now it will be discussed regarding
Additional display on the display label is printed by a printing mechanism 15. The printing method can be, for example, printing under pressing force, printing by pressing hot types, printing by laser or the like. As shown in
A tested ID tag 3 supplied from the tag conveying drum 8 and a display label 2, having additional display printed, supplied from the label conveying drum 9 are contacted in a contiguous area AS of the drums. The ID tag 3 is released from the tag conveying drum 8 and then affixed to the display label 2 here, so as to form an RFID label 1 having them united. The RFID label 1 is conveyed in a state of being stuck on the label conveying drum 9. Though not shown in
On the other hand, an object-to-affix 40 to the label is conveyed by an object-to-affix conveying mechanism. As the object-to-affix conveying mechanism, as shown in
Elimination of a defective ID tag causes a discontinuous supply of the ID tag 3, thus an area having no ID tag existing (tag absent area) can occur on a tag sticking section. When this area contacts with the display label 2, no ID tag is affixed to the display label 2. In order to solve this problem, there are first to fourth embodiments. First, the first solution embodiment will be explained. In
However, only increasing the rotation speed results in that the tag pressing member 29 contacts with the label conveying drum. Thus the tag pressing member 29 can be pulled down so as that the height thereof is approximately level with the drum surface (the non-protruding state).
In case that an ID tag 3 does not exist on the tag pressing member 29 (in case that the ID tag 3 is regarded as defective and removed), as shown in
On the side where the ID tag 3 is supplied (upper sides in
Next, using
By using a flow chart in
Using
Electrical and mechanical control, in order to realize the third solution embodiment explained above, will be explained, using a schematic drawing in
Using
It will be explained regarding
An embodiment in
An embodiment in
A tag selecting drum 24 is provided in
As mentioned above, emergence of a defective ir-regulates rotation movement of the tag conveying drum 8. Therefore if a writing procedure, a checking procedure and defective eliminating procedure were to be conducted on the tag conveying drum 8, irregular rotation movements would prevent these procedures from being conducted at precise timing. In
In
It is preferable to form at least one incision on an ID tag 3, for example shown in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2004-156781 | May 2004 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/JP2005/009056 | 5/18/2005 | WO | 00 | 11/21/2006 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2005/115849 | 12/8/2005 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20070252700 A1 | Nov 2007 | US |