Wireless IC tag, method and manufacturing apparatus

Wireless IC tag, wireless IC tag manufacturing method, and wireless IC tag manufacturing device

The present invention relates to a wireless IC tag suitable for mounting on a member with a large dielectric constant, a method for manufacturing a wireless IC tag, and a manufacturing device for a wireless IC tag, and particularly to suitable installation on electrical or communication cables Wireless IC tags and methods for manufacturing wireless IC tags.

For the purpose of managing articles, preventing theft, preventing forgery, etc., the development of wireless tags that can obtain information about articles without contact is being put into practical use continuously. For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-339142, it is disclosed that a conventional wireless tag used for the purpose of preventing theft is added with a resonant circuit containing a conductor that functions as an antenna and a spacer. A label composed of an insulating substrate sheet used. In response to this, the wireless tag (referred to as "theft prevention tag" in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-339142) transmits a radio wave of a predetermined frequency, and detects the radio wave transmitted by the wireless tag that receives the radio wave , Can be used for surveillance of anti-theft items. This wireless tag has high sensitivity, that is, the feature that it can detect a long distance.

In addition, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-203527 discloses a wireless IC tag packaged in the surface or cover of the electrical flat cable or communication flat cable, and non-contact reading of the flat cable manufacturer, manufacturing year and month Technology of cable information such as date, cable specification, cable length, etc. According to this technology, since wireless IC tags are installed at predetermined intervals on the cable, the cable information can be read not only at the end of the buried cable, but also at any position.

However, for example, if the aforementioned wireless tag is attached to a metal article, the radio waves received by the wireless tag will be absorbed by the metal article. As a result, the strength of the radio wave transmitted by the wireless tag becomes weaker. There is a problem that the detectable distance becomes shorter.

This problem also occurs for wireless IC tags in which IC chips are incorporated into wireless tags. The wireless IC tag is composed of: a substrate, an antenna formed of a metal foil formed on the substrate, an IC chip that is arranged on the antenna and written with information in advance, and is arranged on the substrate and articles Between the spacers. If a radio wave of a predetermined frequency is sent from an external antenna to a wireless IC tag, actuating power is generated based on the radio wave received by the antenna, and the IC chip is operated, and the information written in the IC chip in advance is read out and transmitted by the antenna go out. This information is received by an external antenna. When the wireless IC tag is attached to a metal object, etc., the radio waves received by the wireless IC tag will be absorbed by the metal object, and sufficient operating power cannot be obtained. As a result, the IC After the chip moves and reads the information, the information cannot be transmitted to the necessary distance.

In order to solve this problem, it is necessary to increase the thickness of the spacer, but this will be accompanied by an increase in the size of the wireless IC tag (in this case, an increase in thickness), so it cannot be easily implemented.

Fig. 6 is a graph showing the characteristics of the communication distance when the thickness of the spacer of the aforementioned conventional wireless IC tag is changed. When the thickness of the spacer is 1mm, the communication distance is as short as about 10mm. On the contrary, if the communication distance is to be the longest (approximately 150mm), a spacer with a thickness of 15mm or more is required. However, the length of the antenna is 53 mm.

In this way, if the thickness of the spacer is increased, it is possible to increase the communication distance. However, in order to increase the communication distance, increasing the thickness of the spacer will lead to the enlargement of the wireless IC tag, which will cause harm such as the limitation of the application field. In addition, in actual use, people or objects will come into contact with the wireless IC tag. The use of IC tags causes problems such as peeling and the like, so the usage conditions are poor.

In addition, even if the wireless IC tag is built into the cable, the cable has a metal conductor such as copper and a metal shielding layer on the inside of the coating, so the communication distance of the wireless IC tag Significantly reduced. Furthermore, if the wireless IC label is attached to the surface of the cable, it will easily fall off; if the wireless IC label is buried inside the cable, the substrate with the wireless IC label will not be able to withstand the high temperature during cable forming. The problem of using wireless IC tags for the wiring is still not eliminated.

The present invention was developed in view of such problems, and its purpose is to provide a thin structure that can increase the communication distance even if the structure is installed near the metal part, and it will not fall off or be damaged by high temperature even if the structure is installed on a cable or the like. Yu's wireless IC tag, wireless IC tag manufacturing method, and wireless IC tag manufacturing device.

In order to solve the aforementioned problems, the present invention is configured to include a first antenna and a first spacer, and generate operating power by radio waves of a predetermined frequency received by the first antenna, operate the IC chip, and read the memorized identification A wireless IC tag for transmitting information and further equipped with: a second antenna, which has a predetermined length, resonates with radio waves of a predetermined frequency, and has the auxiliary function of enhancing the transmitted radio waves of the first antenna; and Spacer. The second spacer is arranged between the first antenna and the second antenna to maintain the distance between the two antennas.

Furthermore, the present invention uses a heat-resistant substrate such as glass epoxy, ceramic, fluororesin, etc. as the second spacer in order to withstand the high temperature during the flat wire forming, and even if there is a metal conductor or shielding layer inside the flat wire In order to ensure the desired communication distance, the first antenna and the second antenna are formed on both sides of the second spacer by metal vapor deposition, etc., so that the second antenna has a function to enhance the transmission wave of the first antenna The auxiliary function.

Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to appropriate drawings.

<Embodiment 1>

Fig. 1 shows the structure of the wireless IC tag according to the first embodiment. In addition, Fig. 2(a) is a cross-sectional view in the width direction of the wireless IC tag of Fig. 1, and Fig. 2(b) is a cross-sectional view of the wireless IC tag in Fig. 1 in the longitudinal direction. Among the wireless IC tags described in FIG. 1, the plate-shaped object composed of the base material 2, the antenna (first antenna) 3, and the IC chip 4 is generally referred to as the inlay 1. Furthermore, the symbol 5 is the component where the wireless IC tag is to be installed.

Regarding the wireless IC tag of the first embodiment, the inlay 1 is formed by attaching the first antenna 3 connected to the IC chip 4 storing the ID information on the substrate 2; and is installed in the inlay 1 The first spacer 6 on the bottom surface (for example, the metal member 5 side); the second spacer 7 installed on the top surface of the inlay 1 (for example, the side opposite to the metal member 5 side); and The second spacer 7 is constituted by a second antenna 8 which functions as a resonator.

The inlay 1 itself is, for example, made: on a plate-shaped substrate 2 formed of a polyimide resin material, a first antenna 3 made of copper foil whose top surface has been tin-plated, and a The structure of the IC chip 4 in which the ID code with a maximum of 128 bits is written. The thickness of the first spacer 6 arranged on the bottom surface of the inlay 1 is 0.1mm in the example shown in Figure 2(b); as the material, a foam material with a dielectric constant close to 1 can be used. Specifically, a polyurethane-based, acrylic-based, or synthetic rubber-based material can be used, and various aspects such as cost, durability, and adhesiveness can be considered and appropriately selected. The width and longitudinal dimensions of the first spacer 6 are not particularly limited.

Furthermore, the inlay 1 itself is a known thing. In detail, the inlay is known as: a plate-shaped substrate (meaning the plate before being cut into the width dimension of the substrate 2 in Fig. 1) Above, the first antenna 3 connected to the IC chip 4 is arranged side by side in the width direction, for example, elongated, and is rolled into a roll to be packaged (generally called TCP (Tape Carrier Package) inlays) or flake-like objects.

The material of the second spacer 7 mounted on the top surface of the inlay 1 can be an insulating material such as a polyurethane-based, acrylic-based, or synthetic rubber-based foam material having a dielectric constant close to 1, or rubber. Its thickness is set to 0.3 mm in the example of Fig. 2(b). There are also no particular restrictions on the size of the second spacer 7 in the width or longitudinal direction, and it can be made into a size that is easy to manufacture.

The second antenna 8 arranged on the second spacer 7 is made of copper foil in the same way as the first antenna 3, but it is not limited to this. It may also be made of aluminum foil or conductive ink (carbon resin It is formed by mixing it in ink) and so on. The thickness is, for example, 0.02 mm, and the length is 53 mm for reasons described later. There is no particular limitation on the width dimension of the second antenna 8.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing experimental results of measuring the communication distance with respect to the length of the second antenna 8 when the dielectric constant of the insulating material used in the second spacer 7 is set to be constant. As shown in Figure 3, the length of the second antenna 8 is up to about 45mm, and the communication distance is fixed at about 12mm. If the length of the second antenna 8 is increased, the communication distance will increase sharply from more than 45mm. In the case of 53mm, the communication distance becomes approximately 130mm. If the length of the second antenna 8 is further increased, the communication distance will be sharply shortened, and once it reaches a length of about 60 mm, it will become almost impossible to communicate (the communication distance is 0). In the first embodiment, based on the results of this experiment, setting the length of the second antenna 8 to the longest communication distance of 53 mm.

In order to increase the communication distance, as the insulating material used for the second spacer 7, a material with a small dielectric constant is more advantageous. In addition, the insulating material used as the first spacer 6 and the insulating material used as the second spacer 7 may be the same or different in material, but it is known that the insulating material used as the second spacer 7 The material has a great influence on the communication distance. For example, if the dielectric constant of the material of the first spacer 6 is a foam material close to air, and the material of the second spacer 7 is rubber, the material of the second spacer 7 has a large dielectric constant, so the communication The distance will become shorter.

Theoretically known: the length of the second antenna 8 is set to 1/2 the wavelength of the radio wave of the predetermined frequency (2.45GHz) used to read information from the wireless IC tag, the communication distance will be Becomes the longest. However, its length varies depending on the dielectric constant of the second spacer 7 and the like. If an insulating material with a large dielectric constant is used as the second spacer 7, the length of the second antenna 8 can be shortened. For example, although the experimental results are not shown, as the insulating material of the second spacer 7, it is known that if chloroprene rubber is used, the length of the second antenna 8 can be shortened from the aforementioned 53 mm to 45 mm.

Such a communication distance and the length of the second antenna 8 are in a trade off relationship with respect to the dielectric constant of the insulating material used as the second spacer 7. Therefore, by selecting an insulating material with an appropriate dielectric constant, it is possible to realize a wireless IC tag that has both the thinning produced by the addition of the second spacer 7 and the second antenna 8 and the shortening of the antenna length The resulting reduction in the size in the length direction can ensure a longer communication distance. In the case of the foregoing example, since the length of the first antenna 3 can also be set to the same 45 mm as the length of the second antenna 8, it is possible to reduce the thickness and reduce the size in the longitudinal direction, thereby enabling the miniaturization of the wireless IC tag.

Table 1 shows an example of a wireless IC tag when the thicknesses of the first spacer 6 and the second spacer 7 are changed. Furthermore, the inlay 1 and the second antenna 8 are of the same thickness.

<tables><img file="TW200529085A_D0001.tif" /></tables>

As shown in Table 1, by creating the structure of Example 1, it is possible to make the wireless IC tag thinnest. For example, in the case where priority is given to the thinning of the wireless IC tag, the wireless IC tag shown in Example 1 may be used. However, compared with Example 2 and Example 3, due to the material of the first spacer 6, the accuracy of adjusting the length of the second antenna 8 to a predetermined length will be required. If the accuracy is not satisfied, the wireless IC The communication distance of the tag will be uneven. Example 1 corresponds to the wireless IC tag of Embodiment 1 described in Figure 2(b).

In the case of the wireless IC tag of Example 2, its thickness is the thickness of the wireless IC tag of ratio 1, but the accuracy of adjusting the length of the second antenna 8 to a predetermined length is not required as in Example 1, even if it is not satisfied In terms of accuracy, compared to the IC tag for wireless use in Example 1, a stable communication distance can be ensured. For example, it is not necessary to prioritize the thinning of wireless IC tags, but it is possible to use them when it is desired to reduce manufacturing costs by reducing adjustment man-hours.

Furthermore, as shown in Example 1, Example 2, and Example 3, the thickness of the second spacer 7 is greater than the thickness of the first spacer 6, which is ideal in terms of increasing the communication distance.

In the case of the wireless IC tag of Example 3, a thicker wireless IC tag of ratio 2 is used. However, it can be seen from Figure 6 that by increasing the thickness of the first spacer 6, the communication distance can be increased, so it can be adapted to the wireless application. Use the IC tag for its purpose.

Next, the operation of the system using the wireless IC tag is explained (refer to Fig. 1 as appropriate).

Figure 4 shows the structure of the IC tag system. The IC tag system consists of a wireless IC tag, an external antenna 30 that transmits radio waves of a predetermined frequency with the wireless IC tag, a reader 31 that controls the transmission of radio waves in the external antenna 30, and a pair of The reader 31 instructs the host computer 32 to read the ID code stored in the wireless IC tag. In addition, the RF (Radio Frequency) transmission signal section 311 in the reader 31 performs input and output of the transmission signal, modulation and demodulation, etc.; the control section 312 performs communication and transmission with the host computer 32 The input and output of signals between the signal parts 311, etc.

A case where the ID code memorized in the wireless IC tag already mounted on the metal member 5 is read will be described as an example. The control unit 312 in the reader 31, if the autonomous computer 32 receives an instruction to read the ID code stored in the wireless IC tag, it controls the RF transmission signal unit 311, and the external antenna 30 responds to the wireless IC The tag transmits radio waves of a predetermined frequency (2.45GHz). The second antenna 8 on the side of the wireless IC tag that has received this radio wave resonates with the first antenna 3 that has also received the signal, generating greater operating power than before, and the IC chip 4 is operated by the operating power. The ID code written in advance is output, and then sent to the external antenna 30. The reader 31 receives the ID code from the wireless IC tag via the external antenna 30; the control unit 312 receives the previously received ID code from the RF transmission signal unit 311 and transmits it to the host computer 32. The host computer 32 receives the ID code, and uses it as information of the component 5 to which the wireless IC tag is attached, for example.

In addition, the communication distance of the conventional wireless IC tag is only 10mm. However, the wireless IC tag described in the first embodiment can make the communication distance 130mm as described above, so Figure 4 The distance between the illustrated wireless IC tag and the external antenna 30 is set to 130 mm. As a result, in the past, it was necessary to use a dedicated external antenna (made as an external antenna capable of short-distance communication) that has a large dielectric constant, for example, suitable for the metal member 5, as the external antenna 30; To increase the communication distance, you can use the usual external antenna commonly used.

Here, as the member 5 suitable for mounting the wireless IC tag described in the first embodiment, it is not only a metal product as described above, but also water glass, or even an animal body containing a large amount of water. The thing with a large dielectric constant.

According to the first embodiment, while suppressing the overall thickness of the wireless IC tag, the communication distance at a predetermined frequency can be increased by approximately 13 times compared with the communication distance of the conventional wireless IC tag. In addition, by using insulating materials for the first spacer 6 and the second spacer 7, the thickness of the second spacer 7 is larger than that of the first spacer 6, which is more effective in terms of increasing the communication distance. Effective wireless IC tags. In addition, the bonding between the antennas and spacers of the wireless IC tag can use adhesion.

&lt;Embodiment 2&gt;

Fig. 5 shows an outline of the structure of a wireless IC tag manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a wireless IC tag (the wireless IC tag of the structure shown in Fig. 1). The same components as in Fig. 1 are given the same symbols. In addition, the figure enclosed by a circle in the vicinity of each material of the inlay material 11, the first spacer member 12, the second spacer member 13, and the second antenna member 14 described later is a plan view of a part of the material ; Also, the figure enclosed by a circle at the bottom of Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a wireless IC tag (the same structure as in Fig. 1) manufactured by the wireless IC tag manufacturing device.

In Figure 5, the symbol 11 is the first antenna member (in detail, the inlay material); as mentioned above, it is known that the plate-shaped substrate 2A has been compared with the one shown in Figure 1 The first antennas 3 connected to the IC chip 4 are arranged side by side in the width direction, for example, elongated, and are rolled into a roll (TCP inlay), so it can be used as it is. Symbol 12 is the first spacer member 12 made of foam material (meaning the plate before being cut into the width dimension of the first spacer 6 in Fig. 1); on one of its sides, an adhesive surface is made, for example The double-sided tape is adhered, and it is rolled into a roll in this state. Symbol 13 is a second spacer member made of foam material (means the plate before being cut into the width dimension of the second spacer 7 in Figure 1); both sides are used as adhesive surfaces, such as double-sided tape , And in this state is rolled into a roll shape. Reference numeral 14 denotes a second antenna member, which uses a protective film as a base material, and the second antenna 8 is rolled into a roll shape in a state where 10,000 pieces are arranged side by side in a long strip shape, for example, in the width direction thereof. Furthermore, as the second antenna member 14, there may be a case of using a plate material such as a copper plate instead of being a long strip. In this case, as described later, it is cut into the same shape as the first spacer 6 and the second spacer 7. The width dimension is manufactured as an IC tag for wireless use.

Symbol 15 is a roller, which has a sprocket part that is engaged with the first antenna member 11 sent out by a drive source not shown, for example, holes formed at both ends at equal intervals (not shown) ) While pulling out the first antenna member 11. Symbol 16 refers to the first antenna member 11 that is sent out by pressing and the first spacer member 12 sent out by a driving source not shown, and sending it forward (in the direction of the arrow) Delivery member; symbol 17 is pressed by the first delivery member 16 to be pressed and sent out the plate and the second spacer member 13 sent out by a drive source not shown, and sent to The second delivery member that is sent forward (in the direction of the arrow); the symbol 18 is used to press the sheet material that is pressed and delivered by the second delivery member 17 and is delivered by a drive source not shown. The second antenna member 14 is a third sending member that sends it forward (in the direction of the arrow).

Symbol 19 is a position detector that generates a signal used to control the timing of sending out of the second antenna member 14; the second antenna member 14, as shown in FIG. 5, is a case where the second antenna 8 is arranged in an elongated shape in the width direction , Department has become a necessary thing. Symbol 20 is a position detector that generates a signal, and the signal is used to control the timing of cutting off the wireless IC tag member sent by the third sending member 18 by the cutting machine 21. Reference numeral 22 denotes a fixed base, which is a machine used when cutting the wireless IC tag member by the cutting machine 21, and is also used as a mounting base for cutting and manufacturing one wireless IC tag shown in Fig. 1.

With reference to Fig. 5, the manufacturing process of using the wireless IC tag manufacturing device to manufacture the wireless IC tag will be described. First, by a drive source not shown, the first spacer member 12 is guided by, for example, a guide rail that restricts the position in the width direction, and is sent to the first delivery member 16. At the same time, the first antenna member 11 is sent out by a driving source not shown, for example, guided by a guide rail for position restriction in the width direction; soon, holes not shown are formed at both ends of the first antenna member 11 , It engages with the sprocket portion of the roller 15 and is sent to the first sending member 16. When the first spacer member 12 is sent out, as shown by the dotted line, the film covering the adhesive surface is peeled off (in this case, it is treated with static electricity removal) and sent out, so it passes through the first antenna member 11 After the position of the roller 15, the first antenna member 11 can be adhered to the adhesive surface of the first spacer member 12, and then, the first delivery member 16 is pressed and moved in the direction of the second delivery member 17 Send out.

When the sheet material (the sheet material of the two-layer structure of the first spacer member 12 and the first antenna member 11) is sent out by the first delivery member 16, the second spacer member 13 is also driven by an unshown drive The source, for example, is guided by a guide rail used to restrict the position in the width direction, and is sent to the second sending member 17; The coating film is peeled off (in this case, it is subjected to an antistatic treatment) and sent to the second sending member 17. Therefore, if the board sent by the first delivery member 16 reaches the position of the second delivery member 17, the board will be adhered to the adhesive surface of one side of the second spacer member 13 and pressed And it is sent out in the direction of the 3rd sending member 18. Furthermore, as described above, the other surface of the second spacer member 13 may be an adhesive surface.

When the sheet material (the sheet material of the three-layer structure of the first spacer member 12, the first antenna member 11, and the second spacer member 13) is sent out by the second sending member 17, the second antenna member 14 is also sent out It is guided by a drive source (not shown), for example, by a guide rail for restricting the position in the width direction, and is sent to the third sending member 18. Therefore, if the sheet material of the three-layer structure sent by the second delivery member 17 reaches the position of the third delivery member 18, the sheet will be adhered to the adhesive surface of the other side of the second spacer member 13 , And pressed, and sent out to the cutter 21 side as a wireless IC tag member with a four-layer structure.

Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 5, when the second antenna 8 is arranged in a long strip in the width direction by a predetermined number, it is necessary to be pressed at the third sending member 18 The sending timing of the second antenna member 14 is controlled so that the position of the second antenna 8 and the first antenna 3 included in the first antenna member 11 can be aligned in the width direction. The thing that generates this timing signal is the aforementioned position detector 19; therefore, based on the signal from this position detector 19, the driving of a driving source (not shown) used to send the second antenna member 14 will be controlled.

However, when the second antenna member 14 is a plate-shaped material like the first spacer member 12 or the second spacer member 13, as will be described later, since the first spacer 6 and the second spacer are cut In the case of item 7, it will be cut to the same width, so there is no need to use the position detector 19 to control the sending timing.

The wireless IC tag member with a four-layer structure is sent out by the third sending member 18, and when it reaches the position of the cutting machine 21, it is sequentially cut into the width dimensions shown in the first figure, as shown in the first As shown in a circle on the bottom right of Figure 5, a wireless IC tag with the same structure as Figure 1 is manufactured. At this time, the thing that generates the cut-off timing signal is the aforementioned position detector 20; the cut-off machine 21 will act according to the signal from the position detector 20. The timing of this cutting is preliminarily marked with a mark indicating the cutting position at the end of the first antenna member 11 (specifically, the plate-shaped base material 2A) in the width direction, and the position detector 20 detects The time when the position of this mark is left. However, it is not limited to this method.

Furthermore, when the second antenna member 14 is a plate-shaped material, the size of the second antenna 8 is not the same as the width of the second antenna 8 shown in FIG. The 1 spacer 6 or the second spacer 7 have the same size.

In addition, in terms of cutting, if the 4-layer structure of the sheet material is completely cut, the post-processing after cutting becomes complicated (the wireless IC tags are scattered on the fixed table 22), so it is ideally: Cut to the second antenna member 14, the second spacer member 13, and the first antenna member 11. As for the first spacer member 12 of the lowermost layer, it is cut into a slit shape, and the manufactured wireless devices The IC tags can be connected and arranged side by side on the fixing table 22.

Furthermore, when sequentially cutting to manufacture wireless IC tags, since the adhesive surface is exposed on the cut surface, the adhesive surface must be treated to remove its adhesiveness, such as dusting and dusting the adhesive surface. Processing and other processing.

According to the second embodiment, it is possible to manufacture a wireless IC tag using the first antenna, the first spacer, the second antenna, and the second spacer. When manufacturing a wireless IC tag, a plate-shaped first antenna member, a plate-shaped second antenna member, a plate-shaped first spacer member, and a plate-shaped second spacer member can be used as materials. In addition, the plate-shaped first antenna member, the plate-shaped first spacer member, the plate-shaped second spacer member, and the second antenna can be arranged in a predetermined number of second antennas elongated in the width direction. The antenna member is used as a material.

Furthermore, according to the second embodiment, it is possible to realize a manufacturing apparatus in which a plate-shaped first antenna member, a plate-shaped second antenna member, a plate-shaped first spacer member, and a plate-shaped second spacer member can be realized. As a material, IC tags for wireless use can be manufactured. In addition, it is possible to realize a manufacturing device in which the plate-shaped first antenna member, the plate-shaped first spacer member, the plate-shaped second spacer member, and the second antenna are arranged in a strip shape in the width direction. The number of second antenna members can be used as a material to manufacture wireless IC tags.

&lt;Embodiment 3&gt;

Next, a description will be given of an embodiment of a case where a wireless IC tag is mounted on various cables such as a communication cable or an electric cable while comparing with the conventional technology. Figure 10 is a conceptual diagram showing the state in which the wireless IC tag is assembled on the cable in the prior art; (a) shows the state of the assembly on the multi-core cable, and (b) shows the state of the assembly on the single cable. The state of the core wire. As shown in Fig. 10(a), the multi-core cable 70 used as a communication cable is formed into a multi-core with inner conductors 72 covered by a single-core outer covering layer 71, and then covered by a shielding layer 73 The outside of the cable is covered by the outer cover 74 of the cable. In addition, the wireless IC tag 75 is attached to the surface of the cable outer coating 74 by means of an adhesive or the like.

In addition, as shown in Figure 10(b), the single-core flat cable 80 used as an electrical flat cable has an inner conductor 81 covered by a single-core outer coating 82, and its exterior is covered with a flat-wire outer coating 83 Covered. In addition, the wireless IC tag 75 is attached to the surface of the cable outer cover 83 by using an adhesive or the like. Furthermore, the wireless IC tag 75 is a general task for carrying an antenna and an IC chip on a small rectangular substrate with a desired dielectric constant. Such wireless IC tags 75 are attached along the length direction of the multi-core cable 70 or the single-core cable 80, for example, at an interval of 1 mm.

However, the wireless IC tag 75 is easily peeled off because it is attached to the outer cable cover 74 (or the outer cable cover 83) with an adhesive or the like. In addition, the thickness of the outer cladding layer 74 (or the outer cladding layer 83 for the flex cable) increases the wireless IC tag 75 and the metal part inside the flex cable (that is, the shielding layer 73 in Figure 10(a)). Or the interval between the internal conductors 81) in Figure 10(b) to prevent the communication distance from being reduced. However, the thickness of the flat cable cover 74 (or the flat cable cover 83) is set according to the specifications of the flat cable. Therefore, if the thickness is insufficient, the wireless IC tag 75 and the reading device (not shown) The communication distance between (pictured) is reduced.

Furthermore, when the multi-core flat cable 70 or the single-core flat cable 80 is formed, the flat cable outer coating 74 (or the flat cable outer coating 83) becomes a high temperature state. If the wireless IC tag 75 is installed during the manufacturing process The inside of the outer cladding layer 74 of the flat cable will be thermally damaged and cannot be installed. Therefore, since the process of attaching the wireless IC tag 75 is added after the end of the manufacturing process, the manufacturing cost of the cable will increase.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the technique described in the foregoing embodiment 1 is applied, and a glass epoxy substrate with high heat resistance is used as a label base material (that is, a second spacer) on the front and back surfaces. , The antenna electrode is vapor-deposited to form a wireless IC tag. In addition, during the forming process in the manufacturing process of the flat cable, the wireless IC tag is embedded in the outer coating of the flat cable. Thereby, the function of the wireless IC tag will not be lost due to the high temperature during the ribbon forming process and the deterioration of the label base material; in addition, the wireless IC tag will not peel off when the ribbon is used. Furthermore, since the antenna electrodes formed on the surface and the back surface of the tag base material (the second spacer 7) become the first antenna and the second antenna, respectively, as described in the first embodiment, the wireless IC tag does not have The communication distance may be reduced due to the influence of the metal part of the cable (that is, the shielding layer or the internal conductor).

Fig. 7 is a structural diagram of the wireless IC tag used in the third embodiment; (a) is a perspective view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of (a). As shown in Fig. 7, the wireless IC tag 25 is a metal antenna in which a thin film is deposited on the surface of a second spacer 7a formed of a glass epoxy material having a desired dielectric constant and heat resistance. The first antenna 3a is formed. In addition, on the back surface of the second spacer 7a, at a position facing the first antenna 3a, a thin-film metal antenna is vapor-deposited to form the second antenna 8a. Furthermore, the IC chip 4 is mounted in the vicinity of approximately the center of the first antenna 3a. Furthermore, the second antenna 8a resonates at a desired frequency of the radio wave transmitted by the first antenna 3a, and has a function as an auxiliary antenna to increase the intensity of the radio wave. Therefore, even if the metal member is arranged in the vicinity of the first antenna 3a, there is no danger that the radio wave intensity of the first antenna 3a will be weakened. This matter has already been explained in detail in the aforementioned first embodiment, so its explanation is omitted here.

Furthermore, the sizes and dimensions of the second spacer 7a, the first antenna 3a, and the second antenna 8a have also been described in the first embodiment, so their description is omitted here. The wireless IC tag 25 formed in this way has a small and slender shape, so that it can be easily embedded in the outer cladding of the flat wire along the longitudinal direction of the flat wire when the flat wire is formed. The radio waves transmitted from the first antenna 3a are not weakened by the inner conductor (that is, metal) of the cable due to the auxiliary antenna function of the second antenna 8a. In addition, since the second spacer 7a is formed of an epoxy glass material, it can sufficiently withstand the high temperature of about 200 to 300°C during the wire forming. In addition, the thermal breakdown temperature of the IC chip 4 is 300°C or higher.

Figure 8 is a conceptual diagram showing the state where the wireless IC tag is installed on the cable; (a) shows the state when it is installed on the multi-core cable, and (b) shows the state when it is installed on the electric cable. As shown in Fig. 8(a), the multi-core cable 40 used as a communication cable is formed by the inner conductors 42 each covered with a single-core outer covering layer 41, which is formed into a multi-core, and then covered by a shielding layer 43 The outer part of the cable is covered by the outer cover 44 of the cable. In addition, the wireless IC tag 25 that is packaged at the time of forming is embedded in the flat wire outer coating 44.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the single-core flat cable 50 used as an electrical flat cable has an inner conductor 51 covered by a single-core outer coating 52, and its outer part is covered with a flat-wire outer coating 53. Covered. In addition, the wireless IC tag 25 that is packaged at the time of molding is buried in the flat wire outer coating 53. Such wireless IC tags 25 are embedded along the length direction of the multi-core cable 40 or the single-core cable 50, for example, at intervals of 1 m.

As a result, the wireless IC tag 25 can be installed in the flat cable outer coating 44 or the flat cable outer coating 53 without being damaged by heat, and when the flat cable is used, the wireless IC tag 25 will not be excessive. The risk of peeling off the core cable 40 or the single core cable 50.

In addition, as shown in Fig. 7, the wireless IC tag 25 has a first antenna 3a and a second antenna 8a as an auxiliary antenna formed on the surface and back of the second spacer, so there is no need for multi-core cables. The shielding layer 43 of 40 or the metal layer of the inner conductor 51 of the single-core cable 50 makes it possible for electric waves to be affected. Therefore, the wireless IC tag 25 can ensure a sufficient communication distance. Furthermore, the provision of the first antenna 3a and the second antenna 8a prevents the communication distance from being reduced due to the metal layer, which has already been explained in the first embodiment, so the explanation is omitted here.

Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 8, the wireless IC tag 25 having the configuration shown in Fig. 7 is embedded in the flat cable cover 44 (or the flat cable cover 53). The wire outer coating 44 (or the flat wire outer coating 53) serves as the first spacer. Therefore, it is necessary to control the flat cable outer coating 44 (or the flat cable outer coating 53) to a desired thickness.

Next, a description will be given of a method of manufacturing a wireless IC tag embedded in the outer cladding layer of the cable. Fig. 9 is an engineering drawing showing the manufacturing process of the wireless IC tag embedded in the outer cladding of the flat cable according to the present embodiment. First, in the first step of Fig. 9(a), a thin film of aluminum or copper is deposited on the surface of the glass epoxy substrate 61 at equal intervals to form a plurality of first antennas 3a. Furthermore, although not shown, it is attached to the back surface of the epoxy glass substrate 61 at a position facing the first antenna 3a, and a thin film such as aluminum or copper is vapor-deposited to form a plurality of second antennas 8a. In addition, the first antenna 3a and the second antenna 8a may be formed into thin films on the front and back surfaces of the glass epoxy substrate 61 by an etching method.

Next, in the second process of Fig. 9(b), a large number of first antennas 3a are respectively mounted near the center of the IC chip 4, and the terminals thereof are connected to the first antenna 3a. Furthermore, in the third process of Fig. 9(c), the substrate is cut along the notch line formed in advance on the glass epoxy substrate 61, and the substrate is individually decomposed into a plurality of wireless IC tags. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 7, a wireless IC tag 25 can be manufactured in which the first antenna 3a and the IC chip 4 are arranged on one surface of the second spacer 7a made of a glass epoxy substrate, and The second antenna 8a is arranged on the other surface.

Next, in the fourth step of Figure 9(d), during the forming process of the flat cable 65 (single-core flat cable), one wireless IC tag 25 is embedded in the flat cable outer coating 66 Specify the location. At this time, for example, one wireless IC tag 25 is embedded at intervals of 1 m along the longitudinal direction of the cable 65, and the forming process is performed. At this time, when the thickness of the outer coating layer 66 of the flat cable is insufficient, as shown in Figure 9(d), the portion where the wireless IC tag 25 is mounted is raised up, and the wireless IC tag 25 is buried to make the semaphore A predetermined distance is maintained between the inner conductors 51. The temperature at the time of forming the isobutylene rubber, etc., which becomes the outer coating layer 66 of the flat cable, is about 200~300°C; and the wireless IC tag 25 using the epoxy glass substrate will not be thermally damaged due to the temperature during forming Dangerous. In this way, by embedding in the flat cable outer coating 66, the wireless IC tag 25 can prevent the self-flat cable 65 from falling off, ensure a desired communication distance, and prevent thermal damage when the flat cable is formed. In other words, since it can withstand the high temperature during the flat wire forming, it can also be packaged in the outer coating of the flat wire, for example. As a result, there is no danger of the self-distribution line falling off, and the communication distance can be increased.

Although several embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the aforementioned embodiments, and other embodiments may be implemented. Particularly in the foregoing embodiments, it has been explained that in the conventional inlay, the second spacer and the second antenna are laminated; or the second spacer is formed on each surface of the substrate. The structure of the first antenna and the second antenna; further, the spacer and the antenna are made as if the third spacer and the third antenna are laminated on the second antenna, and the fourth spacer and the fourth antenna are laminated on the second antenna The multi-layered structure of the wireless IC tag is also considered. In addition, the frequency of the radio wave is not limited to the aforementioned 2.45 GHz, and other frequencies can also be realized.

In addition, as a wireless IC tag embedded in the outer coating of the cable, epoxy glass is used as an example for the second spacer, but it is not limited to this material. For example, ceramic or fluorine-containing resin may be used. (For example, a heat-resistant substrate such as Teflon (registered trademark)) is used as the second spacer, and it is of course possible to realize the present invention.

<p>1Inlays</p><p>2Substrate</p><p>3. 3aThe first antenna</p><p>4IC chip</p><p>5Component</p><p>6The first spacer</p><p>7, 7aSecond spacer</p><p>8, 8aThe second antenna</p><p>11The first antenna component</p><p>12The first spacer member</p><p>13Second spacer member</p><p>14The second antenna component</p><p>15roller</p><p>16The first sending component</p><p>17The second sending component</p><p>18The third sending component</p><p>19, 20Position detector</p><p>21Cutting Machine</p><p>22Fixed table</p><p>25IC tags for wireless</p><p>30External antenna</p><p>31Reader</p><p>32Main computer</p><p>40Multi-core cable</p><p>41,52Single core outer cladding</p><p>42,51Internal conductor</p><p>43Masking layer</p><p>44,53,66Outer cladding of cable</p><p>50Single core cable</p><p>61Epoxy glass substrate</p><p>65Cable</p><p>311RF transmitting and receiving signal section</p><p>312Control Department</p>

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the structure of the wireless IC tag according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view in the width direction and the length direction of the wireless IC tag of the first embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a graph showing the characteristics of the communication distance with respect to the length of the second antenna of the wireless IC tag of the first embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a configuration diagram of an IC tag system composed of the wireless IC tag of the first embodiment, a reader that transmits radio waves of a predetermined frequency to the wireless IC tag, an external antenna, and a host computer.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the wireless IC tag manufacturing apparatus related to the second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a graph showing the characteristics of the communication distance with respect to the thickness of the first spacer of the conventional wireless IC tag.

Fig. 7 is a structural diagram of a wireless IC tag used in the third embodiment; (a) is a perspective view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of AA.

Figure 8 is a conceptual diagram showing the state where the wireless IC tag is installed on the cable; (a) shows the state when it is installed on the multi-core cable, and (b) shows the state when it is installed on the electric cable.

Fig. 9 is an engineering drawing showing the manufacturing process of the wireless IC tag embedded in the outer cladding of the cable in the present invention.

Figure 10 is a conceptual diagram showing the state in which the wireless IC tag is mounted on the cable in the prior art; (a) is the state of being mounted on the multi-core cable, and (b) is the state of being mounted on the cable The status of the cable.