JP5709692B2 - RFID tag for laundry - Google Patents

Description

    The present invention relates to a RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag for laundry, and particularly relates to a RFID tag for laundry having a structure that can be worn in a laundry process such as washing and ironing while having no foreign object feeling in wearing. It is.

    Conventionally, an RFID tag having an IC chip and an RFID antenna and capable of wirelessly writing and reading data is attached to various articles, and various data on these articles are read and written, and various necessary data management, etc. It is used in the field of

    FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a RFID tag 1 for laundry that is used by attaching a conventional RFID tag to various laundry products that are washed after use, for example, in a hotel or company, and used again. The RFID tag 1 for use has a tag body 2 and an RFID inlay 3 provided inside the tag body 2.

    The tag main body 2 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape from a material having necessary flexibility and rigidity, such as isoprene rubber material, and the RFID inlay 3 is molded therein.

The RFID inlay 3 includes an inlay base material 4 made of, for example, polyethylene terephthalate or a laminated film thereof, an IC chip 5 and an RFID antenna 6.
The RFID inlay 3 is, for example, UHF band (300 MHz to 3 GHz (preferably 860 to 960 MHz, more specifically 433 MHz, 900 MHz, 915 to 930 MHz, 950 to 956 MHz) or microwave (1 to 30 GHz, specifically 2 .45 GHz), HF band (3 MHz to 30 MHz (preferably 13.56 MHz)), 135 kHz or lower, and other necessary radio waves in a predetermined frequency band and electromagnetic action, etc. are required for the IC chip 5 via the RFID antenna 6. Read and write data (data communication) wirelessly.
However, the specific configurations of the IC chip 5 and the RFID antenna 6 are appropriate according to the radio waves used.
In particular, in the case of using a radio wave having a wavelength in the UHF band (for example, 860 to 960 MHz), the communication distance is usually about 5 to 10 m, and applications in various fields are expected.

    FIG. 6 is a partially omitted plan view showing a state in which the laundry RFID tag 1 is attached to a laundry product (for example, a sheet 7) to be used repeatedly, and as shown in a partially enlarged sectional view, as shown in FIG. The laundry RFID tag 1 is stored and mounted in a mounting pocket 8 provided at one corner.

    Since the RFID tag 1 for laundry has a finish like a so-called rubber plate, it is impossible to deny a foreign object feeling when worn on work clothes, uniforms, or other clothes in addition to the sheets 7. The RFID tag 1 for laundry attached to the pocket 8 for use is not only used when the sheet 7 is used, but also in the collection, washing and ironing process, damage is easily accumulated in the peripheral part of the RFID tag 1 for installation or the pocket 8 for wearing, and the fabric There is a problem that the RFID tag 1 for laundry gradually becomes exposed due to tearing.

FIG. 7 is a schematic side view showing a roll ironing process of a laundry article such as a sheet 7. FIG. 7 (1) shows a state in which the washed sheet 7 is passed between a pair of heat rolls 9. FIG. 7B is a schematic side view of the laundry RFID tag 1 being caught between the heat rolls 9.
As shown in FIG. 7A, the sheet 7 needs to be ironed by passing between a pair of heat rolls 9 for drying.
However, as shown in FIG. 7 (2), when the sheet 7 is passed through the heat roll 9, the laundry RFID tag 1 is relatively thick and the whole is a rectangular parallelepiped shape. As shown in a partially enlarged view, the laundry RFID tag 1 is difficult to pass smoothly between the heat rolls 9 and jamming is likely to occur. Furthermore, there is a problem in that the jamming pocket 8 portion of the sheet 7 and the laundry RFID tag 1 are easily damaged.
Furthermore, there is a problem that excessive thermal stress and wear are applied to the laundry RFID tag 1.
Of course, since the RFID tag 1 for laundry is manufactured by molding or the like that uses a large amount of rubber material in order to ensure its thickness, there is a problem that the material cost is high and it is difficult to reduce the unit price. .

Japanese Patent No. 4548074

    The present invention has been considered in view of the above problems, and can reduce the thickness of a laundry RFID tag to minimize the occurrence of damage to the laundry RFID tag itself, sheets, and other laundry items as much as possible. It is an object to provide an RFID tag for use.

    Another object of the present invention is to provide a laundry RFID tag that can maintain the tearing strength even if it is thin and flexible.

    It is another object of the present invention to provide an RFID chip for laundry that can protect the IC chip and the connection portion between the IC chip and the RFID antenna and maintain the function of the RFID inlay.

    Another object of the present invention is to provide a laundry RFID tag that can withstand the laundry process of laundry products that require repeated washing and ironing such as sheets and other clothes.

    Another object of the present invention is to provide an RFID tag for laundry that can realize material cost reduction, processability improvement, and mass productivity improvement.

    In other words, the present invention focuses on the construction of a tag body from an inner protective layer, an intermediate protective layer, and an outer protective layer, each having a different size. And an RFID inlay having an RFID antenna and capable of wireless data communication, wherein the tag body includes a first protective layer and a first protective layer for protecting the RFID inlay from the front and back surfaces thereof. An inner protective layer having an intermediate size, and a third protective layer and a fourth protective layer positioned on the front and back surfaces of the inner protective layer and protecting at least the IC chip of the RFID inlay. An intermediate protective layer having a protective layer and a minimum size, and the RFID inlay located on the front and back surfaces of the intermediate protective layer. The fifth protective layer and the sixth protective layer that protect the inner protective layer and the intermediate protective layer, and the outer protective layer having the maximum size are laminated to form the protective layer. RFID tag for laundry.

    The first protective layer and the second protective layer can be made of a flexible material.

    The third protective layer and the fourth protective layer can be made of a rigid material.

    One of the fifth protective layer and the sixth protective layer can be made of a hard material, and the other can be made of a flexible material.

    The first protective layer and the second protective layer can be made of urethane resin.

    The first protective layer and the second protective layer can be made of a mesh fabric-integrated urethane resin.

    The third protective layer and the fourth protective layer can be made of glass epoxy resin.

    One of the fifth protective layer and the sixth protective layer can be made of polyethylene terephthalate resin, and the other can be made of urethane resin.

    The first protective layer and the second protective layer can be smaller in size than the fifth protective layer and the sixth protective layer.

    The third protective layer and the fourth protective layer can be smaller in size than the first protective layer and the second protective layer.

    The first protective layer and the second protective layer, and the fifth protective layer and the sixth protective layer may have a quadrangular shape.

    The tag main body can gradually increase its thickness from the peripheral edge toward the center.

In the RFID tag for laundry according to the present invention, the RFID inlay is protected from the front and back surfaces, and the inner protective layer having an intermediate size and the IC chip of the RFID inlay are positioned on the front and back surfaces of the inner protective layer. And an intermediate protective layer having a minimum size and an outer protective layer having a maximum size for protecting the RFID inlay, the inner protective layer, and the intermediate protective layer located on the front and back surfaces of the intermediate protective layer. Thus, the durability and tear strength of a laundry RFID tag can be maintained by properly selecting the material of each protective layer, and particularly the thickness of the peripheral portion thereof. The thickness can be reduced, and the foreign object feeling can be reduced even if it is attached to a laundry product.
Further, it can be smoothly passed through the heat roll (FIG. 7) while attached to the laundry product, and the laundry product and the tag body itself are not damaged and can be manufactured at low cost.

It is a top view of RFID tag 10 for laundry by the example of the present invention. 2 is a side view of the RFID tag 10 for laundry. 2 is an exploded side view of the RFID tag 10 for laundry. It is a schematic side view which shows the roll iron process of laundry articles, such as a sheet 7, same as the above. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the RFID tag 1 for laundry which uses the conventional RFID tag, for example, attaching it to the various laundry goods which wash after use in a hotel, a company, etc., and use again. FIG. 4 is a partially omitted plan view showing a state in which a laundry RFID tag 1 is attached to a laundry product (for example, a sheet 7) that is repeatedly used. FIG. 7 is a schematic side view showing a roll ironing process for a laundry product such as a sheet 7, and FIG. 7 (1) is a schematic side view showing a state in which the washed sheet 7 is passed between a pair of heat rolls 9. FIG. 7 (2) is a schematic side view of a state in which the laundry RFID tag 1 is caught between the heat rolls 9.

    In the present invention, the tag body having the RFID inlay is composed of three protective layers having different sizes, so that the materials for the respective protective layers can be appropriately selected, which is necessary for a laundry product. An RFID tag for laundry having excellent durability and tear strength was realized.

Next, a laundry RFID tag 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. However, the same parts as those in FIGS. 5 to 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a laundry RFID tag 10, FIG. 2 is a side view of the laundry RFID tag 10, and FIG. 3 is an exploded side view of the laundry RFID tag 10.
The laundry RFID tag 10 includes a flat tag main body 11 and the RFID inlay 3 and enables wireless data communication.

    The tag body 11 is formed by laminating an inner protective layer 12 having an intermediate size, an intermediate protective layer 13 having a minimum size, and an outer protective layer 14 having a maximum size. It is composed. Of course, as the overall shape of the tag main body 11 (laundry RFID tag 10), a circular shape, an elliptical shape, or any other shape can be adopted depending on the laundry article to which the tag body 11 is attached.

The RFID inlay 3 includes the inlay base material 4, the IC chip 5, and the RFID antenna 6, and if necessary, a protective film 15 that covers the surfaces of the inlay base material 4 and the IC chip 5 (in FIG. 3, virtual Line) can be provided.
The thickness of the RFID inlay 3 is generally 0.05 to 0.07 mm.

The inner protective layer 12 has a pair of upper and lower first protective layers 16 and a second protective layer 17 that protect the RFID inlay 3 from the front and back surfaces.
The first protective layer 16 and the second protective layer 17 are preferably made of a flexible or cushioning material. For example, a polyester mesh cloth is integrally formed with urethane resin (for example, urethane elastomer), It has an arbitrary rectangular shape and is formed with a thickness of, for example, 0.25 mm. Flexible materials can also be used.

The intermediate protective layer 13 has a pair of upper and lower third protective layers 18 and a fourth protective layer 19 that are positioned on the front and back surfaces of the inner protective layer 12 and protect at least the IC chip 5 of the RFID inlay 3.
The third protective layer 18 and the fourth protective layer 19 are preferably made of a rigid material, for example, made of glass epoxy resin in a circular shape, and the IC chip 5 and the IC chip 5 5A can be protected.
The third protective layer 18 and the fourth protective layer 19 have a thickness of, for example, 0.3 mm.

The outer protective layer 14 is positioned on the front and back surfaces of the intermediate protective layer 13, and a pair of upper and lower fifth protective layers 20 and sixth protective layers 21 that protect the RFID inlay 3, the inner protective layer 12, and the intermediate protective layer 13. Have
It is desirable that one of the fifth protective layer 20 and the sixth protective layer 21 is made of a hard material and the other is made of a flexible material. One (in the illustrated example, the fifth protective layer 20 on the front surface side) is made of an inexpensive and hard polyethylene terephthalate resin or a laminate thereof, and one of the other (in the illustrated example, the sixth protective layer 20 on the back surface side). The protective layer 21) is made of a urethane resin such as a flexible urethane elastomer, and the thickness of each layer is, for example, 0.1 mm.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 2 in particular, the tag body 11 (RFID tag 10 for laundry) has the thinnest part at the peripheral edge part 11A of the tag body 11, and the thickness is about 0.2 to 0.3 mm. The thickness gradually increases from the peripheral portion 11A toward the central portion 11B (approximately 1.37 mm at the thickest portion at the center, and the third protective layer 18 and the fourth protective layer 18 as the intermediate protective layer 13). Except about 0.77 mm).
That is, when viewed from the side, the laundry RFID tag 10 has a so-called thin convex lens shape, and jamming occurs even when a laundry product such as the sheet 7 is passed through the heat roll 9 (FIG. 4, described later). Therefore, the laundry RFID tag 10 itself and the sheet 7 are less likely to be damaged.

    When laminating the tag body 11, for example, a hot melt adhesive 22 is applied on the inner side of either the fifth protective layer 20 or the sixth protective layer 21 in the outer protective layer 14, and the whole is pressed to a predetermined pressure. However, no adhesive is applied to the inner protective layer 12 and the intermediate protective layer 13 with which the RFID inlay 3 is in contact, and external forces such as bending and twisting are applied. Thus, the RFID inlay 3 can be slightly displaced without being fixed to the inner protective layer 12 and the intermediate protective layer 13, and flexibility for bending stress or torsional stress of the entire laundry RFID tag 10 can be secured. .

Further, the first protective layer 16 and the second protective layer 17 (inner protective layer 12) are smaller in size than the fifth protective layer 20 and the sixth protective layer 21 (outer protective layer 14).
The third protective layer 18 and the fourth protective layer 19 (intermediate protective layer 13) are smaller in size than the first protective layer 16 and the second protective layer 17 (inner protective layer 12).
That is, the dimensions of each are appropriately designed according to the laundry product to which the laundry RFID tag 10 is attached. For example, the RFID inlay 3 has a width of about 40 mm and a length of about 16 mm. The first protective layer 16 and the second protective layer 17 have a width of about 49 mm and a length of about 22 mm, the third protective layer 18 of the intermediate protective layer 13 has a diameter of about 10 mm, and the fifth protective layer 14 has a fifth protective layer. The protective layer 20 and the sixth protective layer 21 are about 55 mm wide and about 28 mm long.
The intermediate protective layer 13 is positioned substantially at the center of the tag body 11, and the outer protective layer 14 and the inner protective layer 12 are laminated so as to surround the intermediate protective layer 11 from the surroundings. By designing the protective layer 13 and the outer protective layer 14 to have the relative sizes as described above, the tag body 11 has the thinnest peripheral edge portion 11A and from the peripheral edge portion 11A toward the central portion 11B. The thickness is gradually increased (see FIG. 2).

According to the RFID tag 10 for laundry having such a configuration, the connection part 5A between the IC chip 5 or the IC chip 5 of the delicate RFID inlay 3 and the RFID antenna 6 is made of glass epoxy resin having strength and rigidity. It can be protected by the circular third protective layer 18 and the fourth protective layer 19 (intermediate protective layer 13).
However, the third protective layer 18 and the fourth protective layer 19 are not in direct contact with the RFID inlay 3 and have a cushioning property while the polyester mesh fabric-integrated urethane elastomer resin has a strength that is difficult to extend. By positioning the protective layer 16 and the second protective layer 17 (inner protective layer 12) between the RFID inlay 3 and the intermediate protective layer 13, stress due to external force such as bending or twisting is absorbed, and the RFID inlay 3 ( In particular, the connection 5A) between the IC chip 5 and the RFID antenna 6 is protected.

    In addition, the sixth protective layer 21 of the outer protective layer 14 is made of a flexible and strong urethane elastomer, and the other fifth protective layer 20 is low in cost and does not impair the flexibility. Since it is composed of a thin hard polyethylene terephthalate resin, the RFID tag for laundry 10 as a whole is given flexibility and toughness, realizes durability and tear strength, and can be reduced in cost.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing a roll ironing process for laundry items such as the sheets 7, similar to FIG. 7, in which the washed sheets 7 are passed between the pair of heat rolls 9 to iron. Call.
In particular, as shown in a partially enlarged view in FIG. 4, the laundry RFID tag 10 mounted in the mounting pocket 8 has a thin convex lens shape when viewed from the side, and is mounted between the heat rolls 9. Since the pocket 8 for laundry and the RFID tag 10 for laundry can pass smoothly, jamming does not occur, and the mounting pocket 8 portion of the sheet 7 and the laundry RFID tag 10 are not easily damaged.

    Thus, the RFID tag 10 for laundry does not impair the durability of the laundry, realizes low cost, realizes thinning, reduces the feeling of foreign matter when worn on clothes, and prevents jamming by using a hot roll 9 or the like. Can also contribute.

1 RFID tag for laundry (conventional, Fig. 5)
2 Tag body 3 RFID inlay 4 Inlay substrate 5 IC chip 5A Connection between IC chip 5 and RFID antenna 6 (FIG. 1)
6 RFID antenna 7 Sheet (Laundry product, Fig. 6)
8 Mounting pocket 9 Heat roll (Figs. 4 and 7)
10 RFID tag for laundry (Example, Fig. 1)
11 Tag body 11A Peripheral edge of tag body 11 (FIG. 2)
11B Center portion 12 of tag body 11 Inner protective layer (FIG. 3)
13 intermediate protective layer 14 outer protective layer 15 protective film 16 first protective layer 17 second protective layer 18 third protective layer 19 fourth protective layer 20 fifth protective layer 21 sixth protective layer 22 hot melt adhesive

Claims (3)

A flat tag body,
An RFID tag for laundry having an IC chip and an RFID antenna and equipped with an RFID inlay capable of wireless data communication,
The tag body is
It has a first protective layer and the second protective layer to protect the RFID inlay from the front and back surfaces, have a middle size, and inner protective layer made of mesh fabric integrated urethane resin flexible ,
The inner and outer protective layers are positioned on the front and back surfaces of the RFID inlay to protect at least the IC chip and have a third protective layer and a fourth protective layer, and are rigid and have a minimum size composed of glass epoxy resin. An intermediate protective layer having a thickness;
An outer protection having a maximum size, having the RFID inlay, the inner protective layer, and the fifth protective layer and the sixth protective layer protecting the intermediate protective layer located on the front and back surfaces of the intermediate protective layer Layers,
An RFID tag for laundry, which is formed by laminating layers. The fifth protective layer and the sixth protective layer of, as well as constituting one the one of a hard material, in claim 1, characterized in that constituting the other one of a flexible material The described RFID tag for laundry. The fifth protective layer and the sixth protective layer of, as well as constituting one the one of a polyethylene terephthalate resin, to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that constituting the other one of a urethane resin The described RFID tag for laundry.

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