JP7559976B2 - Package manufacturing method, package manufacturing apparatus, and package jig - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method, an apparatus, and a tool used for manufacturing a package equipped with an RFID module.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a package manufacturing method in which an RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) module is mounted on each of multiple antenna patterns on a material sheet pulled out from a roll, and then the material sheet is punched into the shape of the package to create a package with an RFID function.

International Publication No. 2018/216686

When mass-producing packages with RFID functions using the package manufacturing method described in Patent Document 1, the RFID module needs to be mounted on the package material sheet at high speed. However, the size of the RFID module is very small compared to the size of the package. Therefore, the package material sheet needs to be transported at high speed. Also, in order to position the RFID module mounting location on the package at the position where the RFID module will be mounted (mounting position), the material sheet needs to be stopped intermittently. Therefore, the sheet transport device that transports the package material sheet needs to have high speed transport capability as well as high acceleration and deceleration capabilities. Such transport of the material sheet makes the package manufacturing device more complex and larger.

Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to quickly attach RFID modules to each of the RFID module mounting locations of multiple packages in a simple manner, without complicating or enlarging the package manufacturing equipment.

In order to solve the above technical problem, according to one aspect of the present invention,
A package manufacturing method for attaching an RFID module to an RFID module mounting location of each of a plurality of packages, comprising the steps of:
The plurality of packages are stacked obliquely so that the RFID module mounting portion of each of the packages is exposed;
The RFID module is attached to the RFID module mounting portion of each of the packages that are stacked obliquely.

According to another aspect of the present invention,
A package manufacturing device that attaches an RFID module to an RFID module mounting portion of each of a plurality of packages, comprising:
a packaging jig for supporting the plurality of packages stacked at an angle so that the RFID module mounting portion of each of the packages is exposed;
and a mounting device that mounts the RFID modules at the RFID module mounting locations of the packages supported by the packaging jig.

According to another aspect of the present invention,
A packaging jig for supporting a plurality of packages each having an RFID module mounting portion on which an RFID module is mounted,
A packaging jig is provided that supports the plurality of packages stacked at an angle such that the RFID module mounting portion of each of the packages is exposed.

According to the present invention, RFID modules can be quickly attached to each of the RFID module mounting locations of multiple packages in a simple manner without complicating or enlarging the package manufacturing equipment.

Exploded view of the package with RFID function Exploded view of RFID module Equivalent circuit diagram of package with RFID function 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a package manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment; Perspective view of the package jig Cross-sectional view of the package jig supporting multiple packages Top view of the package jig supporting multiple packages 11 is a cross-sectional view of a package jig supporting a plurality of packages in a package manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment; FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a package jig supporting a plurality of packages in a package manufacturing apparatus according to a third embodiment; FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a package jig supporting a plurality of packages in a package manufacturing apparatus according to a fourth embodiment; FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a package jig supporting a plurality of packages in a package manufacturing apparatus according to a fifth embodiment; FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a tilt stage in a package manufacturing apparatus according to a sixth embodiment.

One embodiment of the package manufacturing method of the present invention is a package manufacturing method in which an RFID module is attached to an RFID module mounting location of each of a plurality of packages, the plurality of packages are stacked at an angle so that the RFID module mounting location of each of the packages is exposed, and the RFID module is attached to the RFID module mounting location of each of the packages in the diagonally stacked state.

According to this embodiment, RFID modules can be quickly attached to each of the RFID module mounting locations of multiple packages in a simple manner, without complicating and enlarging the package manufacturing equipment.

For example, the mounting device may mount the RFID module at the RFID module mounting location of each of the packages that are stacked at an angle.

When using a mounting device, for example, the multiple packages stacked at an angle may be arranged so that the RFID module mounting locations of each package are aligned horizontally. This allows the lifting and lowering stroke of the nozzle of the moving head of the mounting device to be constant.

For example, a packaging jig may be used to support the multiple packages stacked at an angle so that the RFID module mounting locations of each package are aligned horizontally.

For example, the packaging jig may have an inclined surface on which the plurality of packages stacked at an angle are placed. In this case, the inclined surface is inclined at an angle such that the RFID module mounting locations of the packages are aligned horizontally.

For example, the lower portion of the inclined surface of the package jig may be formed with a plurality of steps that engage with each of the packages. This allows the RFID module mounting locations of each package to be positioned.

For example, the packaging fixture may include an elastic member, and the elastic member may have the inclined surface.

For example, a tilt stage may be used on which the multiple packages stacked at an angle can be placed and tilted so that the RFID module mounting locations of each package are aligned horizontally.

For example, a load may be applied from above to the diagonally stacked packages using a load member. This brings the packages into closer contact with each other, thereby increasing the number of packages that can be processed in one batch.

For example, the RFID module may have a hot melt layer, and before attaching the RFID module to the package, the hot melt layer may be softened by a heating device, and the RFID module may be attached to the package via the softened hot melt layer.

Another aspect of the package manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is a package manufacturing apparatus that attaches an RFID module to an RFID module mounting location of each of a plurality of packages, and includes a package jig that supports the plurality of packages that are stacked at an angle so that the RFID module mounting location of each of the packages is exposed, and a mounting device that mounts the RFID module at the RFID module mounting location of each of the packages supported by the package jig.

According to this embodiment, RFID modules can be quickly attached to each of the RFID module mounting locations of multiple packages in a simple manner, without complicating and enlarging the package manufacturing equipment.

Furthermore, a packaging jig according to another aspect of the present invention is a packaging jig that supports a plurality of packages, each of which has an RFID module mounting portion on which an RFID module is mounted, comprising:
The plurality of packages stacked at an angle are supported so that the RFID module mounting portion of each of the packages is exposed.

According to this embodiment, RFID modules can be quickly attached to each of the RFID module mounting locations of multiple packages in a simple manner, without complicating and enlarging the package manufacturing equipment.

Below, the embodiment of the present invention is explained with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a package with an RFID function.

As shown in Fig. 1, the package manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment is configured to manufacture an RFID-functionalized package 10 by attaching an RFID module 30 to a sheet-like package 20. The package 20 is made of a flexible material such as paper. The package 20 is also provided with an RFID module mounting location Lp.

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the RFID module. Figure 3 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the package with RFID functionality.

2 and 3, the RFID module 30 is a device that performs wireless communication via first and second antenna patterns 22A and 22B formed on the package 20 at a communication frequency of, for example, 900 MHz band, i.e., UHF band. Note that the antenna patterns 22A and 22B are omitted in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the RFID module 30 is a multi-layer structure. Specifically, the RFID module 30 includes two thin insulating sheets 32A, 32B made of an insulating material and laminated together as a module base material, which is a main component. Each of the insulating sheets 32A, 32B is a flexible sheet made of an insulating material such as polyimide or liquid crystal polymer. In addition, in this embodiment, the RFID module 30 includes a layer of hot melt adhesive (hot melt layer) 34. The RFID module 30 is adhered to the package 20 via the hot melt layer 34.

2 and 3, the RFID module 30 includes an RFIC (Radio-Frequency Integrated Circuit) chip 36 and terminal electrodes 38A, 38B connected to the RFIC chip 36. The RFID module 30 also includes a matching circuit 40 provided between the RFIC chip 36 and the terminal electrodes 38A, 38B.

The RFIC chip 36 is a chip that operates at a UHF frequency (communication frequency) and has a structure in which various elements are built into a semiconductor substrate made of semiconductors such as silicon. The RFIC chip 36 also has a first input/output terminal 36a and a second input/output terminal 36b. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the RFIC chip 36 has an internal capacitance (capacitance: the self-capacitance of the RFIC chip itself) C1.

As shown in FIG. 2, the RFIC chip 36 is built into the RFID module 30, which is a multi-layer structure. Specifically, the RFIC chip 36 is placed on the insulating sheet 32A and sealed in a resin package 42 formed on the insulating sheet 32A. The resin package 42 is made of elastomer resin such as polyurethane, or hot melt resin. The RFIC chip 36 is protected by the resin package 42. The resin package 42 also improves the flexural rigidity of the RFID module 30, which is a multi-layer structure made of flexible insulating sheets 32A and 32B (compared to the rigidity of the insulating sheet alone). As a result, the RFID module 30 with the RFIC chip 36 built in can be handled by a component supplying device such as a parts feeder or a mounting device described later, just like an electronic component (for reference, the RFIC chip 36 alone cannot be handled by a parts feeder, etc., because of the risk of damage such as chipping).

The terminal electrodes 38A, 38B are conductor patterns made of a conductive material such as silver, copper, or aluminum, and are provided on the inner surface 32Ba of the insulating sheet 32B (the surface facing the insulating sheet 32A). That is, in the case of the present embodiment 1, the terminal electrodes 38A, 38B are built-in and not exposed to the outside of the RFID module 30. The terminal electrodes 38A, 38B are rectangular in shape. These terminal electrodes 38A, 38B are electrically connected (i.e., capacitively coupled) to the first and second antenna patterns 22A, 22B, respectively, via the hot melt layer 34.

As shown in FIG. 3, the matching circuit 40 provided between the RFIC chip 36 and the terminal electrodes 38A, 38B is composed of multiple inductance elements 44A to 44E.

Each of the multiple inductance elements 44A to 44E is formed by a conductor pattern provided on each of the insulating sheets 32A and 32B.

Conductor patterns 46, 48 made of conductive materials such as silver, copper, and aluminum are provided on the outer surface 32Aa (the surface on which the resin package 42 is provided) of the insulating sheet 32A of the RFID module 30. Each of the conductor patterns 46, 48 is a spiral coil pattern and has land portions 46a, 48a at the outer peripheral end for electrically connecting to the RFIC chip 36. The land portion 46a and the first input/output terminal 36a of the RFIC chip 36 are electrically connected via, for example, solder or a conductive adhesive. Similarly, the land portion 48a and the second input/output terminal 36b are also electrically connected.

As shown in Figure 3, one of the spiral coil-shaped conductor patterns 46 on the insulating sheet 32A constitutes an inductance element 44A having an inductance L1. The other of the spiral coil-shaped conductor patterns 48 constitutes an inductance element 44B having an inductance L2.

The insulating sheet 32B adjacent to the insulating sheet 32A is provided with a conductor pattern 50 made of a conductive material such as silver, copper, or aluminum. The conductor pattern 50 includes terminal electrodes 38A and 38B, spiral coil portions 50a and 50b, and a meander portion 50c. In the insulating sheet 32B, the spiral coil portions 50a and 50b and the meander portion 50c are disposed between the terminal electrodes 38A and 38B.

One of the spiral coil portions 50a of the conductor pattern 50 on the insulating sheet 32B is electrically connected to the terminal electrode 38A. The center end 50d of the spiral coil portion 50a is electrically connected to the center end 46b of the spiral coil-shaped conductor pattern 46 on the insulating sheet 32A via an interlayer connection conductor 52 such as a through-hole conductor formed in the insulating sheet 32A. The spiral coil portion 50a is configured so that the current flowing through the conductor pattern 46 and the current flowing through the spiral coil portion 50a have the same circumferential direction. Furthermore, the spiral coil portion 50a constitutes an inductance element 44C having an inductance L3 as shown in FIG. 3.

The other spiral coil portion 50b of the conductor pattern 50 on the insulating sheet 32B is electrically connected to the terminal electrode 38B. The center end 50e of the spiral coil portion 50b is electrically connected to the center end 48b of the spiral coil-shaped conductor pattern 48 on the insulating sheet 32A via an interlayer connection conductor 54 such as a through-hole conductor formed in the insulating sheet 32A. The spiral coil portion 50b is configured so that the current flowing through the conductor pattern 48 and the current flowing through the spiral coil portion 50b have the same circumferential direction. Furthermore, the spiral coil portion 50b constitutes an inductance element 44D having an inductance L4 as shown in FIG. 3.

The meandering portion 50c in the conductor pattern 50 on the insulating sheet 32B electrically connects the outer end of one spiral coil portion 50a to the outer end of the other spiral coil portion 50b. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, the meandering portion 50c constitutes an inductance element 44E having an inductance L5.

The impedance between the RFIC chip 36 and the terminal electrodes 38A, 38B is matched at a predetermined frequency (communication frequency) by the matching circuit 40 including such inductance elements 44A-44E (including the self-capacitance C1 of the RFIC chip 36). Also, the inductance elements 44A-44E and the RFIC chip 36 form a closed loop circuit, and the terminal electrodes 38A, 38B are connected to the inductance element 44E, so that the impedance is low in the low frequency range (frequency band of DC to 400 MHz).

According to this RFID module 30, when the first and second antenna patterns 22A, 22B provided in the package 20 receive radio waves (signals) of a predetermined frequency (communication frequency) in the UHF band, a current corresponding to the signal flows from the first and second antenna patterns 22A, 22B to the RFIC chip 36. The RFIC chip 36 is driven by the current and outputs a current (signal) corresponding to information stored in its internal memory (not shown) to the first and second antenna patterns 22A, 22B. Then, the radio waves (signals) corresponding to the current are radiated from the first and second antenna patterns 22A, 22B.

Note that the RFID module 30 described here is just one example, and the present invention does not limit the shape of the RFID module 30.

So far, we have explained the configuration of the RFID module 30. From here on, we will explain the package manufacturing apparatus that produces the RFID-functional package 10 shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a package manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment. Note that the X-Y-Z coordinate system in the figure is intended to facilitate understanding of the invention and does not limit the present invention. The X-axis and Y-axis directions indicate the horizontal direction, and the Z-axis direction indicates the vertical direction.

As shown in Figure 4, in the case of this embodiment 1, the package manufacturing apparatus 100 has a conveying device 102 that conveys the package 20, and a mounting device 104 that mounts an RFID module 30 on the package 20 being conveyed by the conveying device 102. Note that in the case of this embodiment 1, the package 20 is not directly conveyed by the conveying device 102, but is conveyed to the conveying device 102 while being supported by a package jig 110. In other words, the conveying device 102 conveys the package jig 110 to the mounting position Mp in the mounting device 104.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the packaging jig. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the packaging jig supporting multiple packages. Figure 7 is a top view of the packaging jig supporting multiple packages.

As shown in Figures 5 to 7, in the case of the first embodiment, the packaging jig 110 is a tray-shaped jig capable of supporting multiple packages 20 in a stacked state. In the drawings, the multiple packages 20 are shown spaced apart to make them easier to see. Specifically, the packaging jig 110 is configured to support multiple packages 20 in a diagonally stacked state so that the RFID module mounting location Lp of each package 20 is exposed. In other words, the packaging jig 110 supports multiple packages 20 so that the RFID module mounting location Lp of each package 20 is not covered by other packages 20. Note that the "diagonally stacked state" refers to a state in which the outer peripheral edge of one of any two packages 20 that are adjacent to and overlap each other is shifted relative to the outer peripheral edge of the other package 20 without overlapping.

In addition, in the case of the present embodiment 1, for reasons that will be described later, the packaging jig 110 supports the multiple packages 20 in a diagonally stacked state so that the RFID module mounting locations Lp of each package 20 are aligned substantially horizontally. In the case of the present embodiment 1, the packaging jig 110 supports the multiple packages 20 so that the RFID module mounting locations Lp are aligned in a straight line with a narrow pitch.

For this purpose, the packaging jig 110 has an inclined surface 110a on which the multiple packages 20 stacked at an angle are placed. Specifically, the stack of multiple packages 20 stacked at an angle is placed on the inclined surface 110a in an inclined state (a state in which the stacking direction is inclined from the vertical direction). In this state, the inclined surface 110a is inclined with respect to the horizontal at an inclination angle θ such that the RFID module mounting positions Lp of each package 20 are substantially aligned horizontally. Note that the aspect ratio and inclination angle θ of the packages 20 and the packaging jig 110 shown in the drawings are different from the actual ones and are deformed for ease of viewing.

In the case of the first embodiment, in the packaging jig 110, a plurality of step surfaces 110b are formed on the lower portion of the inclined surface 110a. The lower end of the package 20 contacts each of the plurality of step surfaces 110b, thereby positioning the RFID module mounting location Lp. In other words, of two adjacent packages 20, the upper package 20 is prevented from sliding on the lower package 20. Note that the upper end of the step surface 110b may be rounded to prevent the package 20 from being scratched by the upper end of the step surface 110b.

As shown in Figure 4, the conveying device 102 conveys the packaging jig 110 supporting multiple packages 20 to the mounting position Mp of the mounting device 104. The conveying device 102 is, for example, a belt conveyor.

The mounting device 104 mounts the RFID module 30 at the RFID module mounting location Lp of each of the multiple packages 20 supported by the package jig 110 arranged at the mounting position Mp. Specifically, multiple nozzles 104b mounted on the moving head 104a receive the RFID module 30 from a supply position such as a parts feeder (not shown), and mount the received RFID module 30 at the RFID module mounting location Lp on the package jig 110. The moving head 104a can move in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction and Y-axis direction) and the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), and the nozzles 104b can move up and down in the vertical direction relative to the moving head 104a. The moving head 104a is, for example, a rotary head that has multiple nozzles 104b arranged in a circumferential direction around a rotation center line extending in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) and rotates the multiple nozzles 104b along the circumferential direction.

In the case of the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the RFID module 30 is adhered to the RFID module mounting location Lp of the package 20 via a pre-installed hot melt layer 34. For this reason, a heating device (not shown), such as a halogen heater, is disposed between the supply position of the RFID module 30 and the mounting position Mp, for example, to heat and soften the hot melt layer 34 of the RFID module 30 held by the nozzle 104b.

When mounting (adhesion) of the RFID modules 30 to the RFID module mounting locations Lp of all packages 20 on the packaging jig 110 placed at the mounting position Mp is completed, the transport device 102 moves the packaging jig 110 from the mounting position Mp. Then, a new packaging jig 110 (i.e., a packaging jig supporting the package 20 before the RFID module 30 is mounted) is placed at the mounting position Mp of the mounting device 104 by the transport device 102.

According to the above-described embodiment 1, RFID modules can be quickly attached to each of the RFID module mounting locations of multiple packages in a simple manner without complicating or enlarging the package manufacturing equipment.

Specifically, the RFID modules 30 are mounted in the RFID module mounting locations Lp of the multiple packages 20 stacked at an angle, and the mounting process is batch processed. In other words, the RFID modules 30 can be mounted on the multiple packages 20 by simply transporting the multiple packages 20 together once to the mounting location Mp of the mounting device 104. Therefore, there is no need for a conveying device that conveys the packages 20 one by one to the mounting location Mp, that is, a conveying device that has high speed conveying capability and high acceleration/deceleration capability. Therefore, the more packages 20 that can be processed in one batch, that is, the more packages 20 supported by the package jig 110, the faster the RFID modules 30 can be attached to the RFID module mounting locations Lp of the multiple packages 20.

In addition, in the case of the first embodiment, the multiple packages 20 are supported by the package jig 110 so that the RFID module mounting locations Lp of each package 20 are aligned substantially horizontally. As a result, the lifting and lowering stroke of the nozzle 104b of the moving head 104a of the mounting device 104 can be made constant. In contrast, if the heights (Z-axis direction positions) of the RFID module mounting locations Lp are different, it is necessary to adjust the lifting and lowering stroke of the corresponding nozzle 104b for each RFID module mounting location Lp.

Furthermore, in the case of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the RFID module mounting locations Lp of the multiple packages 20 are aligned in a straight line. Therefore, the moving head 104a of the mounting device 104 only needs to move in one direction without changing direction. This minimizes the moving distance of the moving head 104a and shortens the mounting time for the RFID modules 30 on all of the multiple packages 20. In other words, the RFID modules 30 can be attached to each of the RFID module mounting locations Lp of the multiple packages 20 more quickly.

(Embodiment 2)
The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in terms of the packaging jig, so the packaging jig of the second embodiment will be described.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of a packaging jig supporting multiple packages in a package manufacturing apparatus of embodiment 2.

8, in the package manufacturing apparatus according to the second embodiment, the package jig 210 includes a main body 212 and a cover member 214 attached to the main body 212 via, for example, a magnet. The main body 212 is substantially the same as the package jig 110 in the first embodiment. The cover member 214 includes an elastic member 216 as a load member that applies a load from above to the plurality of packages 20 stacked at an angle. By applying the load of the elastic member 216 from above, the plurality of packages 20 are stacked in a more closely packed state. As a result, the number of packages 20 that the package jig 210 can support increases. Note that the load member that applies a load from above to the plurality of packages 20 is not limited to the elastic member 216. For example, the load member may be a weight. In addition, the cover member 214 is formed with a through hole 214a that exposes the RFID module mounting location Lp of each of the plurality of packages 20.

As with the above-mentioned embodiment 1, this embodiment 2 also makes it possible to quickly attach RFID modules to each of the RFID module mounting locations of multiple packages in a simple manner, without complicating or enlarging the package manufacturing equipment.

(Embodiment 3)
The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in terms of the packaging jig, so the packaging jig of the third embodiment will be described.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of a package jig supporting multiple packages in a package manufacturing apparatus of embodiment 3.

9, in the package manufacturing apparatus according to the third embodiment, the package jig 310 has an inclined surface 310a on which the multiple packages 20 are placed in an obliquely stacked state, similar to the package jig 110 of the first embodiment described above. However, unlike the package jig 110 of the first embodiment described above, the package jig 310 does not have a step surface on the lower part of the inclined surface 310a. Instead, the package jig 310 has a friction surface 310b that comes into contact with the lower ends of the multiple packages 20. The friction surface 310b is, for example, a surface with slight irregularities formed thereon, and has a friction coefficient that prevents the lower ends of the packages 20 from slipping.

As with the above-mentioned embodiment 1, this embodiment 3 also makes it possible to quickly attach RFID modules to each of the RFID module mounting locations of multiple packages in a simple manner, without complicating or enlarging the package manufacturing equipment.

(Embodiment 4)
The fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in terms of the packaging jig, so the packaging jig of the fourth embodiment will be described.

Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of a package jig supporting multiple packages in a package manufacturing apparatus of embodiment 4.

As shown in FIG. 10, in the package manufacturing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment, the package jig 410 includes a main body 412 and a cover member 414 attached to the main body 412 via, for example, a magnet. The cover member 414 also includes an elastic member 416 as a load member that applies a load from above to the multiple packages 20 in a diagonally stacked state. The package jig 410 also includes a second elastic member 418 that includes an inclined surface 418a on which the multiple packages 20 are placed. In the case of the fourth embodiment, the multiple packages 20 are sandwiched between the two elastic members 416 and 418, thereby being in close contact with each other. As a result, the number of packages 20 that the package jig 410 can support increases.

As with the above-mentioned embodiment 1, this embodiment 4 also makes it possible to quickly attach RFID modules to each of the RFID module mounting locations of multiple packages in a simple manner, without complicating or enlarging the package manufacturing equipment.

(Embodiment 5)
In the above-described first to fourth embodiments, the multiple packages 20 are supported by the package jigs 110 to 410 so that the stacked cross section is substantially a parallelogram. In other words, the multiple packages 20 are supported so that the stack of the multiple packages 20 does not collapse.

To be more specific, when multiple packages 20 are stacked at an angle so that each RFID module mounting location Lp is exposed, the upper package 20 is prone to bending since it is partially not supported from below. As a result, the stack of multiple packages 20 stacked at an angle is prone to collapse in the direction opposite to the RFID module mounting location Lp. In particular, if the topmost package 20 and the bottommost package 20 do not overlap, the stack of multiple packages 20 is prone to collapse. Therefore, this embodiment 5 can handle a case where the stack of multiple packages 20 is in a collapsed state.

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of a package jig supporting multiple packages in a package manufacturing apparatus relating to embodiment 5.

11, in the package manufacturing apparatus according to the fifth embodiment, the package jig 510 has an inclined surface 510a on which the stack of the multiple packages 20 is placed in a collapsed state. The inclined surface 510a is inclined at an angle φ such that the RFID module mounting locations Lp of the multiple packages 20 in the collapsed stack are aligned horizontally.

As with the above-mentioned embodiment 1, this embodiment 5 also makes it possible to quickly attach RFID modules to each of the RFID module mounting locations of multiple packages in a simple manner, without complicating or enlarging the package manufacturing equipment.

(Embodiment 6)
In the above-described first to fifth embodiments, the RFID module mounting locations Lp of the multiple packages 20 that are stacked diagonally are aligned horizontally by the packaging jigs 110 to 510. In the sixth embodiment, the RFID module mounting locations Lp of the multiple packages 20 that are stacked diagonally are aligned horizontally by a different method.

Figure 12 is a diagram showing a tilt stage in a package manufacturing apparatus relating to embodiment 6.

As shown in FIG. 12, in the package manufacturing apparatus according to the sixth embodiment, the package jig 610 does not have an inclined surface for tilting the multiple packages 20 stacked at an angle. Therefore, the package manufacturing apparatus according to the sixth embodiment has a tilt stage 606 that tilts the package jig 610 so that the RFID module mounting locations Lp of the multiple packages 20 are aligned horizontally at the mounting position Mp. The tilt stage 606 rotates around a rotation center line CL extending in the horizontal direction (Y-axis direction), so that the mounting surface 606a is tilted relative to the horizontal. This tilts the package jig 610 placed on the mounting surface 606a, and as a result, the RFID module mounting locations Lp of the multiple packages 20 supported by the package jig 610 are aligned horizontally.

When using the tilt stage 606, the multiple packages 20 stacked at an angle may be placed directly on the mounting surface 606a of the tilt stage 606 without using the package jig 610.

As with the above-mentioned embodiment 1, this embodiment 6 also makes it possible to quickly attach RFID modules to each of the RFID module mounting locations of multiple packages in a simple manner, without complicating or enlarging the package manufacturing equipment.

The present invention has been described above using several embodiments, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to these.

For example, in the case of the above-mentioned embodiment 1, as shown in FIG. 4, the RFID module 30 is attached to the RFID module mounting location Lp of the package 20 by the nozzle 104b mounted on the moving head 104a of the mounting device 104. For this purpose, the RFID module mounting locations Lp of each package 20 are aligned horizontally. However, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, if the nozzle that adsorbs the RFID module 30 is attached to the moving head via a spring, the RFID module mounting locations Lp of each package 20 do not need to be aligned horizontally as long as the height difference between the RFID module mounting locations Lp of each package 20 can be absorbed within the compression range of the spring.

Furthermore, the means for mounting the RFID module 30 in the RFID module mounting location Lp of the package 20 is not limited to the mounting device 104. For example, multiple RFID modules 30 removably attached to a carrier sheet may be transferred to the RFID module mounting location Lp of each of multiple packages 20 stacked at an angle.

In other words, the package manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention is, in a broad sense, a package manufacturing method for attaching an RFID module to an RFID module mounting location in each of a plurality of packages, in which the plurality of packages are stacked at an angle so that the RFID module mounting location in each of the packages is exposed, and the RFID module is attached to the RFID module mounting location in each of the packages in the diagonally stacked state.

In addition, the package manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is, in a broad sense, a package manufacturing apparatus that attaches an RFID module to an RFID module mounting location of each of a plurality of packages, and includes a package jig that supports the plurality of packages that are stacked at an angle so that the RFID module mounting location of each of the packages is exposed, and an installation device that installs the RFID module in the RFID module mounting location of each of the packages supported by the package jig.

Furthermore, the packaging jig of an embodiment of the present invention is, in a broad sense, a packaging jig that supports a plurality of packages, each of which has an RFID module mounting location on which an RFID module is implemented, and supports the plurality of packages that are stacked at an angle so that the RFID module mounting location of each of the packages is exposed.

The present invention is applicable to the production of packages with RFID functionality.

Claims (11)

A package manufacturing method for attaching an RFID module to an RFID module mounting location of each of a plurality of packages, comprising the steps of:
The plurality of packages are stacked obliquely so that the RFID module mounting portion of each of the packages is exposed;
Attaching the RFID module to the RFID module mounting location of each of the packages that are stacked diagonally;
a mounting device mounting the RFID modules at the RFID module mounting locations of the packages stacked at an angle, the package manufacturing method comprising:
The package manufacturing method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of packages stacked obliquely are arranged so that the RFID module mounting locations of the respective packages are aligned horizontally.
3. The package manufacturing method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of: using a package jig that supports the plurality of packages that are stacked obliquely so that the mounting locations of the RFID modules of the respective packages are aligned horizontally.
the packaging jig has an inclined surface on which the plurality of packages stacked obliquely are placed,
The package manufacturing method according to claim 3 , wherein the inclined surface is inclined at an angle such that the RFID module mounting locations of the respective packages are aligned horizontally.
5. The method for manufacturing a package according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of steps for engaging with each of the packages are formed in a lower portion of the inclined surface of the package fixture.
the packaging fixture includes an elastic member,
The method of claim 4 , wherein the resilient member comprises the inclined surface.
3. The package manufacturing method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of: placing the plurality of obliquely stacked packages on a tilt stage capable of tilting the stage so that the RFID module mounting portions of the packages are aligned horizontally.
The method for manufacturing a package according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of applying a load from above to the plurality of packages in a diagonally stacked state using a load member.
the RFID module comprises a hot melt layer;
softening the hot melt layer by a heating device before attaching the RFID module to the package;
The method for manufacturing a package according to claim 1 , further comprising attaching the RFID module to the package via the softened hot melt layer.
A package manufacturing device that attaches an RFID module to an RFID module mounting portion of each of a plurality of packages, comprising:
a packaging jig for supporting the plurality of packages stacked at an angle so that the RFID module mounting portion of each of the packages is exposed;
a mounting device that mounts the RFID modules at the RFID module mounting locations of each of the packages supported by the packaging jig.
A packaging jig for supporting a plurality of packages each having an RFID module mounting portion on which an RFID module is mounted,
A packaging jig that supports the plurality of packages stacked at an angle such that the RFID module mounting portion of each of the packages is exposed.

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