Patent Grant
11682260
This application claims the benefit of priority from JP Pat. App. No. 2020-74504 filed Apr. 20, 2020, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
The present disclosure relates to a gaming chip with a built-in RFID tag and a manufacturing method thereof.
In the past, it has been known that gaming chips have built-in RFID tags as security parts. The RFID tag stores security information such as information for authenticity determination and identification information, and the database stores various information related to the gaming chips associated with this security information. If the RFID tag is removed from the gaming chip with a fraudulent purpose, it can be deciphered and duplicated, adversely affecting security.
There are also known a gaming chip that incorporate a coil-type RFID tag as a security part. In the case of a coil-type RFID tag, by molding a body member made of resin, for example, so as to enclose the RFID tag, a gaming chip with a built-in the RFID tag.
However, in the conventional gaming chip that incorporates a sticker-type RFID tag, the RFID tag can be removed by peeling off the decal member. Therefore, it is easy to take out the RFID tag in a non-destructive state, and the risk of counterfeiting is relatively high. In addition, in the case of a conventional gaming chip with a built-in sticker-type RFID tag, since the RFID tag is located close to the surface of the gaming chip, there is a relatively high risk that the RFID tag will be damaged in the process of use by external force through the decal member.
In addition, in the conventional gaming chip with a built-in sticker-type RFID tag, since the RFID tag is located close to the surface of the gaming chip, when multiple gaming chips are stacked and multiple RFID tags are read simultaneously, the distance between the multiple RFID tags becomes uneven and the reading of the RFID tags becomes unstable.
On the other hand, coil-type RFID tags can be incorporated in the center of the thickness direction of the gaming chip, so reading when the multiple gaming chips are stacked is relatively stable. Also, since RFID tags can be covered with molding resin, the risk of counterfeiting by removing RFID tags and the risk of damage to RFID tags by use are relatively small. However, in the gaming chips that incorporate a coil-type RFID tag, since the RFID tag is directly covered with molding resin, there is a risk that the RFID tag may be damaged during the manufacturing process of gaming chips with built-in coil-type RFID tags.
The present disclosure solves at least some of the above problems.
A gaming chip of one aspect of the present disclosure is a gaming chip that incorporates a sticker-type RFID tag, the gaming chip comprising: an enclosing member having a predetermined shape that encloses the RFID tag; a body member that is injection-molded to enclose the enclosing member enclosing the RFID tag; and a decal member that represents a type or denomination of the gaming chip, wherein the enclosing member consists of a first part and a second part, at least the first part or the second part has a flat surface to which the sticker-type RFID tag can be adhered, and the first part and the second part are combined so that the enclosing member is formed and the sticker-type RFID tag is enclosed by the first part and the second part.
With this structure, the sticker-type RFID tag is built into the gaming chip in the state that it is enclosed in the enclosing member. Therefore, it is not easy to remove the RFID tag, and the RFID tag will not be damaged by use. Furthermore, since the RFID tag is enclosed in the enclosing member and the body member is injection-molded around the RFID tag, the possibility of the RFID tag being damaged by manufacturing process can be reduced.
The enclosing member may be covered on entire surface by the injection-molded body member and the decal member. This configuration ensures security because the enclosing member enclosing the RFID tag is not exposed to the surface of the gaming chip.
The enclosing member may be covered on entire surface by the injection-molded body member. This configuration ensures security because the enclosing member enclosing the RFID tag is not exposed to the surface of the gaming chip.
The enclosing member enclosing the RFID tag may be located in the central portion of the gaming chip, and the decal member may be located in the peripheral portion in the thickness direction of the gaming chip. With this configuration, the RFID tag can be located inside the decal member.
The RFID tag may store information about the gaming chip, and may be readable when a plurality of gaming chips are stacked. This configuration allows the plurality of RFID tags of the plurality of gaming chips stacked on the game table or chip tray to be read simultaneously.
The RFID tag may be enclosed within plus or minus 25% of the thickness of the gaming chip from the center of the thickness direction of the gaming chip. This configuration reduces the variation in the distance between a plurality of adjacent RFID tags even when a plurality of gaming chips are stacked, thereby stabilizing the reading of the RFID tags.
The first part and the second part may be combined to form a sealed space for enclosing the RFID tag. This configuration allows a sticker-type RFID tag to be built into the gaming chip, sealed in the sealed space formed by the enclosing member.
The sealed space for enclosing the RFID tag may be configured by press-fitting the first part into the second part. With this configuration, the RFID tag can be easily and reliably enclosed in the enclosing member when manufacturing the gaming chip.
The sealed space for having the RFID tag therein may be configured by engaging the first part and the second part with each other. This configuration also allows the RFID tag to be easily and reliably enclosed in the enclosing member when manufacturing gaming chips.
The sealed space for having the RFID tag therein may be configured by gluing the first part and the second part with each other. This configuration also allows the RFID tag to be easily and reliably enclosed in the enclosing member when manufacturing gaming chips.
The enclosing member enclosing the RFID tag may be configured by sandwiching the RFID tag between the first part and the second part. With this configuration, the RFID tag can be easily enclosed in the enclosing member when manufacturing gaming chips.
The enclosing member enclosing the RFID tag may be configured by sandwiching the RFID tag between the first part and the second part and gluing the first part and the second part. This configuration allows the RFID tag to be securely enclosed in the enclosing member when manufacturing gaming chips.
The first part and the second part may be connected to each other. This configuration facilitates the operation of enclosing the RFID tag in the enclosing member.
The first part and the second part may be connected in a hinged manner. This configuration facilitates the operation of enclosing the RFID tag in the enclosing member.
The diameter of the RFID tag may be larger than the diameter of the decal member. With conventional RFID tags affixed to the back of a decal, the RFID tag cannot be larger than the decal, but by adopting a configuration in which the body member is injection molded to cover the enclosing member that encloses the RFID tag, the size of the RFID tag is not limited by the size of the decal, and can be made sufficiently large.
The specific gravity of the enclosing member may be greater than that of the body member. This configuration allows the gaming chip to be of any weight.
The specific gravity of the enclosing member may be smaller than that of the body member. This configuration allows the gaming chip to be of any weight.
The enclosing member may be configured to be molded into a predetermined shape by injection molding. This configuration allows the enclosing member to be easily manufactured.
A method for manufacturing a gaming chip in one aspect of the present disclosure comprises: a first process of adhering a sticker-type RFID tag to a first part having in advance a flat surface for adhering the sticker-type RFID tag; a second process of covering the first part to which the RFID tag is adhered with a second part to construct an enclosing member that encloses the RFID tag; and a third process of constructing a main body that encloses the enclosing member that encloses the RFID tag by using the enclosing member as an insert part and performing insert molding.
With this configuration, it is possible to manufacture a gaming chip in which a sticker-type RFID tag is built in a state that the sticker-type RFID tag is enclosed in the enclosing member.
A gaming chip in one aspect of the present disclosure is a gaming chip that incorporates an RFID tag, the gaming chips comprising: an enclosing member having a predetermined shape that encloses the RFID tag; a body member that is injection-molded to enclose the enclosing member enclosing the RFID tag; and a decal member representing a type or denomination of the gaming chip, wherein a first part and a second part are combined to form the enclosing member, the RFID tag is covered by the first part and the second part, and the enclosing member is covered by the body member and the decal member around the enclosing member.
With this structure, the RFID tag is built into the gaming chip in the state that it is enclosed in the enclosing member. Therefore, it is not easy to remove the RFID tag, and the RFID tag will not be damaged by use of the gaming chip. In addition, since the RFID tag is enclosed in the enclosing member and the body member is injection-molded around the enclosing member, the possibility of the RFID tag being damaged by this manufacturing process can be reduced.
The following is a detailed description of the gaming chip according to the present disclosure with reference to the drawings. In the following, a disc-shaped gaming chip is described as a gaming chip for playing games according to embodiments of the present disclosure, but the present disclosure is not limited by the following embodiments. For example, the shape of the gaming chip may be a rectangular plate or any other shape. Also, the gaming chip may be a plaque. The components in the following embodiments include those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art or those that are substantially the same.
The side surface of the gaming chip 10 consists of the body member 11. The side surface is color-coded in three layers in the thickness direction. The two surface (outer) layers are the same color, and the middle layer is a different color from the two surface layers. As a result, the gaming chip 10 has a striped pattern on its sides whose color changes in the thickness direction.
In addition, the gaming chip 10 has patterns each of those runs from the edge of one plane surface of the body member 11, through the side surface, to the edge of the other plane surface at predetermined angular intervals. As a result, a stripe pattern of varying color in the circumferential direction is formed on the side surface, and a stripe pattern of varying color in the circumferential direction is also formed on the edge of the surface at predetermined intervals. The above-mentioned patterns on the circumferential edges of the plane surface and the side surface of the body member 11 and the colors comprising them represent at least one of the types and denominations (values) of the gaming chips 10.
The RFID tag 14 is enclosed in the enclosing member 12. The body member 11 is formed so as to cover the edges of both surfaces of the enclosing member 12 all around. The decal member 13 is placed on the step between the body member 11 and the enclosing member 12. As a result, on the plane surface, the body member 11 and the decal member 13 are substantially in the same plane.
The enclosing member 12 consists of a first part 121 and a second part 122. The first part 121 and the second part 122 are formed by injection molding of resin, respectively. The first part 121 has a circumferential wall 121a at the peripheral edge of the disc shape and is roughly tray-shaped. The inner bottom 121b of the peripheral wall 121a is flat so that the sticker-type RFID tag 14 can adhere to it. The second part is in the shape of a disk and has a flange 122a at the peripheral edge.
The specific gravity of the enclosing member 12 can be greater or smaller than that of the body member 11. Setting the specific gravity of the enclosing member 12 appropriately determines the weight of the gaming chip 10. In other words, once the size (diameter and thickness) of the gaming chip 10 is determined and the material of the body member 11 is determined, the specific gravity of the enclosing member 12 is determined to obtain the weight required for the gaming chip 10. Alternatively, after the size of the gaming chip 10 is determined and the material of the encasing member 12 is determined, the specific gravity of the body member 11 may be determined to obtain the weight required for the gaming chip 10. The specific gravity of the enclosing member 12 and the body member 11 is adjusted by mixing metal powder with those materials.
The RFID tag 14 is a sticker-type RFID tag and is affixed to the flat inner bottom 121b of the first part 121. The first part 121 and the second part 122 are assembled with each other by the second part 122 being press-fitted into the peripheral wall 121a of the first part 121 and the flange 122a of the second part 122 contacting the upper part of the peripheral wall 121a of the first part 121. At this time, a sealed space 12a is formed between the first part 121 and the second part 122 to enclose the RFID tag 14. The contact portions of the first part 121 and the second part 122 are glued together with an adhesive.
The RFID tag 14 is a passive type RFID tag and is excited by electromagnetic waves emitted from an RFID reader to obtain electric power. The RFID reader reads information stored in the RFID tag 14 by electromagnetic waves. The RFID reader can simultaneously read multiple RFID tags 14 embedded in each of multiple stacked gaming chips 10.
The RFID tag 14 stores information about the gaming chip 10. This information at least includes any of identification information (ID) that uniquely identifies the gaming chip 10, the type of gaming chip 10, and the denomination of the gaming chip 10. The information may further include information on history of location or owner.
As described above, the enclosing member 12 is a capsule having a hollow disc shape and enclosing an RFID tag 14 in a sealed space 122a. The RFID tag 14 is sandwiched between the first part 121 and the second part 122, and is covered by the first part 121 and the second part 122. The RFID tag 14 adheres to the flat inner bottom 121b of the first part 121.
The body member 11 is formed by injection molding so as to cover the side surface and edge parts of the plane surfaces of the enclosing member 12 that contains the RFID tag 14 all around. As a result, the body member 11 is formed into a donut-shaped hollow circle, and the enclosing member 12 is enclosed inside it. In other words, the body member 11 is injection molded to enclose the enclosing member 12.
When the body member 11 is formed around the enclosing member 12, a portion of the enclosing member 12 except for the peripheral edge of the enclosing member 12 is exposed inside the surface of the body member 11. A step is formed between the exposed portion 12b of the enclosing member 12 and the circularly shaped surface of the body member 11, and this step forms a circular indentation 12c.
The decal member 13 has roughly the same shape as the indentation 12b, is placed in the indentation 12c, and is affixed to the exposed portion 12b. As a result, the surface of the decal member 13 and the surface of the circular shape of the body member 11 are substantially at the same height.
On the surface of the decal member 13, at least one of the type and denomination of the gaming chip 10 is represented. The back of the decal member 13 is coated with an adhesive, which attaches the decal member 13 to the exposed portion 12b of the enclosing member 12.
As described above, the entire surface of the enclosing member 12 is covered by the body member 11 and the decal member 13, so that the enclosing member 12 is not even partially exposed in the gaming chip 10. Therefore, it is unlikely that the enclosing member 12 will be damaged in the process of use of the gaming chip 10.
The RFID tag 14 is coated with an adhesive on its back side and is attached to the inner bottom 121b of the first part 121 of the enclosing member 12 by this adhesive. The height of the enclosed space formed inside the enclosing member 12 is higher than the thickness of the RFID tag 14. Therefore, when the RFID tag 14 is affixed to the inner bottom 121b of the first part 121, the RFID tag 14 does not contact the inner surface of the second part 122.
On the other hand, the height of the sealed space formed inside the enclosing member 12 is slightly higher than the RFID tag 14. Therefore, if an attempt is made to illegally remove the enclosing member 12 from the body member 11, or if an attempt is made to destroy the enclosing member 12 to remove the RFID tag 14, the RFID tag 14 is likely to be damaged. Thus, it is difficult to remove the RFID tag 14 without damaging it in the present embodiment of gaming chip 10.
As described above, in the gaming chip 10 in the present embodiment, the enclosing member 12 that encloses the RFID tag 14 is located in the center of the thickness direction of the gaming chip 10, and the decal member 13 is located at the periphery of the thickness direction of the gaming chip 10. Therefore, the RFID tag 14 is located at the center of the gaming chip 10 in the thickness direction. Specifically, the RFID tag 14 is located within plus or minus 25% of the center of the thickness direction of the gaming chip 10. Therefore, even if a plurality of gaming chips 10 are stacked on top of each other in any direction, there is no or little variation in the distance between adjacent RFID tags 14, and reading by an RFID reader using electromagnetic waves is stable.
In addition, in the gaming chip 10 in the present embodiment, the size of the RFID tag 14 is not limited by the size of the decal member 13, and the RFID tag 14 can be of a size necessary for reading by an RFID reader. In the present embodiment, the diameter of the RFID tab 14 is larger than the diameter of the decal member 13, as shown in
Next, the second part 122 is press-fitted into the first part 121 to which the RFID tag 14 is affixed on the inner bottom 121b, so that the first part 121 and the second part 122 are closed with the RFID tag 14 contained in a sealed space inside (Step S42). The contact portions of the first part 121 and the second part 122 are glued together with an adhesive.
Next, the enclosing member 12 containing the RFID tag 14 is held in the mold as an insert member to constitute the body member 11 by insert injection molding (Step S43). Next, the gaming chip 10 is completed by affixing a decal member 13 to each of the two exposed surfaces 12b of the enclosing member 12 in the structure in which the enclosing member 12 and the body member 11 are integrated (Step S44).
As described above, in the manufacturing method of the gaming chip 10 in the present embodiment, the first part 121 and the second part 122 constituting the enclosing member 12 are each formed in advance so as to form a sealed space for enclosing the RFID tag 14 by being combined. Therefore, the first part 121 and the second part 122 do not deform significantly between the stage of enclosing the RFID tag 14 and the stage when the gaming chip 10 is completed, and the RFID tag 14 is protected by the enclosing member 12 during the manufacturing process of the gaming chip 10 to prevent a large external force from being applied to the RFID tag 14. The RFID tag 14 is protected by the enclosing member 12 during the manufacturing process of the gaming chip 10. Therefore, the possibility of damage to the RFID tag 14 during the manufacturing process can be reduced.
As described above, in the gaming chip 10, the RFID tag 14 is located at approximately the center of the thickness direction of the gaming chip 10. Therefore, when the gaming chip 10 is placed with any side up, the distance from the bottom and top surfaces to the RFID tag 14 is almost uniform.
As shown in
On the other hand, as shown in
To achieve this effect, the RFID tag 14 is placed within plus or minus 25% from the center of the thickness direction of the gaming chip 10 as described above, and it is more desirable if the RFID tag 14 is placed within plus or minus 10% from the center of the thickness direction of the gaming chip 10. It is more desirable if the RFID tag 14 is located within plus or minus 5% from the center of the thickness direction of the gaming chip 10.
In the above embodiment, the first part 121 and the second part 122 are fixed to each other by the second part 122 being press-fitted into the first part 121, but in addition to or instead of this, the first part 121 and the second part 122 may be fixed to each other by being engaged by one or more engagement claws. In this case, the one or more engagement claws are formed on one of the first part 121 and the second part 122, and one or more engagement recesses each of that engages the engagement claws are formed on the other.
The first part 121 and the second part 122 may be connected to each other in a hinged manner. In this case, too, the first part 121 and the second part 122 can be assembled to each other with the RFID tag 14 contained in the sealed space by press-fitting or engaging the first part 121 and the second part 122 by placing the RFID tag 14 between them with the first part 121 and the second part 122 connected.
The sheet-like first part 121′ and the sheet-like second part 122′ may be glued to each other with the RFID tag 14 sandwiched in between. According to this, the RFID tag 14 cannot be removed from the enclosing member 12′. The sheet-like first part 121′ and the sheet-like second part 122′ may not be connected to each other. In this case also, the first part 121′ and the second part 122′ may be glued together with the RFID tag 14 sandwiched between the first part 121′ and the second part 122′.
Specifically, the body member 11 is formed by insert molding the enclosing member 12″, which contains the RFID tag 14, as an insert member. At this time, the enclosing member 12″ is supported by the support member in the mold. This hole is covered by the decal member 13 and is not exposed in the completed gaming chip 10′.
According to the gaming chip 10′ of the present embodiment, the RFID tag 14 is not exposed even if the decal member 13 is removed, because the entire surface of the enclosing member 12′ is covered by the body member 11′.
As shown in
In this way, the enclosing member 12 with the RFID tag 14 can be completed, and the circuit and antenna of the RFID tag 14 are not compressed by the first part 1201 and the second part 1202 of the enclosing member 12, and the RFID tag 14 is fixed in the enclosing member 120. The first part 1201 and the second part 1202 are aligned and glued together at the bank 1203 and the convex part 1204 to complete the disc-shaped enclosing member 12.
As a result, the periphery and sides of the planes of the enclosing member 12 containing the RFID tag 14 are covered by the body member 11, and the remaining portion, i.e., the center portion of both planes, is covered by the decal member 13, so that the RFID tag 12 is built into the gaming chip without any exposed portion. In this way, the periphery and sides of the planes are all covered by the body member 11, so that even when a shock is applied to the gaming chip (for example, when the gaming chip 10 is dropped), the enclosing member 12, and thus the RFID tag 14, is protected from the shock.
The enclosing member 12 and the body member 11 may be made of different materials. The surface of the enclosing member 12 may be marked with information to identify the RFID tag 14 by laser engraving or printing with ink. This allows the RFID tag 14 to be identified by directing the notation to the RFID tag 14, even when the RFID tag 14 has failed and cannot be read.
In the above embodiment, the RFID tag 14 is a sticker-type, but the RFID tag 14 is not limited thereto; for example, it may be a sheet type that does not have an adhesive surface. The RFID tag 14 may also be a coil type. The RFID tag 14 can also be an active type.
In the above embodiment, the gaming chips 10 and 10′ are in the shape of a disc, but the shape of the gaming chips is not limited thereto, and may be, for example, in the shape of a rectangular disc.
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