JP7780800B2 - Scaffolding - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to temporary scaffolding for construction, and to scaffolding materials that are easy to manage.

When building a structure, temporary scaffolding is required to construct the structure, and in recent years, due in part to stricter safety standards, the construction of temporary scaffolding materials has become more complex every year. There is also a wide variety of types of scaffolding materials.

Scaffolding materials are generally intended for repeated use and are reused multiple times. For management purposes, each scaffolding material is given an identification mark, such as the model number, manufacturing date, and manufacturing factory. Traditionally, metal stickers have often been used as identification marks, with various pieces of information displayed on the surface of the sticker. However, with this type of configuration, the information must be visually confirmed, which takes time and can lead to erroneous judgments, making accurate material management difficult.

One possible solution would be to use IC tags as identification tags, write various information to the IC, and then instantly read it using an IC reader.

JP 2016-162119 A

However, when using IC tags, care must be taken to protect the RFIC from shocks and heat. As disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, IC tags are made by immersing a sheet-shaped RFIC in a thin resin, which means that the RFIC can easily be destroyed by shocks when erecting or dismantling temporary scaffolding. Furthermore, even if there is an abnormality in the RFIC, this cannot be detected visually from the outside, leading to the problem of malfunction.

The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide scaffolding material that, when attaching an IC tag to the material surface, protects the RFIC from impacts during the construction and dismantling of temporary scaffolding, and allows for more reliable management of individual information.

To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention provides scaffolding material for temporary scaffolding with an IC tag fixed to its surface. The IC tag comprises a sheet-shaped RFIC that records identification information for the scaffolding material, and a protective layer that covers at least one surface of the sheet facing the surface of the RFIC. The protective layer is formed from a resin of a material and thickness that is impact-resistant when the temporary scaffolding is constructed and dismantled. Note that RFIC is an abbreviation for Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit, which means high-frequency integrated circuit or radio-frequency integrated circuit.

By reading the identification information stored in an IC tag fixed to the surface of the material, the present invention makes it possible to digitally manage the model number, manufacturing date, manufacturing factory, and other information of the scaffolding material. Furthermore, in this invention, the IC tag is covered with a protective resin layer, which not only makes it wear-resistant but also impact-resistant. This protects the RFIC from impacts during the construction and dismantling of temporary scaffolding, making it possible to read the identification information over a long period of time commensurate with the number of times the scaffolding material is reused. Furthermore, the protective layer, of course, does not impede reading by a reader (contactless communication).

Preferably, the entire RFIC of the IC tag is covered with a protective layer. This is to protect the RFIC not only from external forces and heat from the front surface, but also from external forces and heat from the back surface (material surface). Furthermore, by positioning the RFIC at a distance from the material surface, the RFIC can be protected from such external forces and heat from the back surface. In this case, a spacer such as a slightly thick double-sided tape is used as the spacing means. The spacer may be a single piece, but if it is divided into multiple pieces, it is preferable to form a protective layer between the spacers.

It is also preferable that the protective layer also have heat-shielding properties to protect the RFIC from heat such as sunlight. This is because the constructed temporary scaffolding is exposed to sunlight, and the surface of the material becomes very hot in the summer, and the protective layer can protect the RFIC from this high heat. In particular, the heat-shielding effect on the RFIC can be further enhanced when the entire RFIC is covered with the protective layer.

In this invention, polyurea is used as the specific material for the protective layer, which has these impact resistance and heat-shielding properties. Polyurea is a resin in which the main component, isocyanate, is urea-bonded to the curing agent, polyamine. Its excellent strength and flexibility provide excellent protection for RFICs from impacts, and it also has waterproof, chemical, abrasion, heat, and corrosion resistance. Furthermore, polyurea dries quickly, shortening the time required to form the protective layer, facilitating the manufacture of IC tags.

The protective layer is typically formed by applying (brushing) or spraying unhardened resin onto the RFIC, but other methods can be used as long as they can form a protective layer of the desired thickness. The order in which the IC tag is applied to the material surface can also be such that a protective layer is first formed on the RFIC and then fixed to the material surface with adhesive or double-sided tape, or alternatively, the RFIC alone can be fixed to the material surface first, and then the protective layer can be formed by applying or spraying as described above.

According to the present invention, IC tags are applied to the surface of scaffolding materials as a means of managing them, making management extremely easy, as identification information can be obtained instantly. Furthermore, the RFIC in the IC tag is protected by an impact-resistant and heat-resistant resin, such as polyurea, which prevents deterioration of the RFIC over the long term, even in the harsh environment of a construction site.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a scaffolding material according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Process diagram showing the manufacturing method of the scaffolding material Process diagram showing another manufacturing method of the scaffolding material 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a scaffolding material according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Process diagram showing the manufacturing method of the scaffolding material FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an IC tag applied to the scaffolding material of the present invention. A process diagram showing the manufacturing process of the IC tag A process diagram showing another method for manufacturing an IC tag that is applied to the scaffolding material of the present invention. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing how to use the same IC tag. 10 is a perspective view of a main part of a scaffolding material according to a third embodiment of the present invention; 10 is a perspective view of a main part of a scaffolding material according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; An explanatory diagram showing a manufacturing method of an IC tag applied to the scaffolding material. A process diagram showing another manufacturing method of the IC tag applied to the scaffolding material

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of a scaffolding material according to a first embodiment of the present invention, with an IC tag 2 fixed to the material surface 1. Scaffolding materials are components used to construct temporary scaffolding, and include left and right framework pipes connected vertically, scaffolding boards suspended horizontally across these framework pipes, handrails, braces, etc., and IC tags 2 recording information about each component are fixed to their surfaces. The IC tag 2 is composed of a sheet-like RFIC 3 covered with a resin protective layer 4. While the easiest method for fixing the IC tag 2 is with double-sided tape 5, adhesive bonding is also possible. Of course, the position at which the IC tag is fixed to the scaffolding material must be one that can be read by an IC reader.

Figure 2 shows a manufacturing method for the scaffolding material of Figure 1. The release paper 5a is peeled off from one side of double-sided tape 5 and attached to sheet-like RFIC 3 (Figure 2(a)). Next, the release paper 5b is peeled off from the other side of double-sided tape 5 to expose the adhesive surface, which is then attached to the surface 1 of the scaffolding material (Figure 2(b)). Finally, resin is sprayed onto RFIC 3 (Figure 2(c)) or applied (brushed) (Figure 2(d)). Once the resin has hardened, RFIC 3 is covered with a resin protective layer 4, completing the scaffolding material of the present invention.

The protective layer 4 on the IC tag 2 may be formed before the IC tag 2 is fixed to the surface of the scaffolding material. That is, in Figure 3, one side of double-sided tape 5 is attached to a sheet-like RFIC 3 (Figure 3(a)), and resin is sprayed onto it (Figure 3(b)) or applied (Figure 3(c)). After the resin hardens, the release paper 5b is peeled off from the other side of the double-sided tape, and the tape is attached to the material surface 1 (Figure 3(d)).

By fixing the IC tag 2 to the surface 1 of the scaffolding material in this way, information about the scaffolding material can be read contactlessly using an IC reader, facilitating management of each material. Furthermore, the RFIC 3 of the IC tag 2 is covered with a resin protective layer 4, protecting the RFIC 3 from friction and impact. Furthermore, if the resin is resistant to direct sunlight (heat-shielding), the RFIC 3 will not break down even at high temperatures, such as in the summer.

However, in the IC tag 2 in Figure 1, only double-sided tape 5 is interposed between the material surface 1 and the RFIC 3, and if the thickness of the double-sided tape 5 is thin, heat from the material surface 1 is easily transferred to the RFIC 3, so it is expected that the RFIC 3 will malfunction due to this heat from the material surface 1.

In the second embodiment shown in Figure 4, a spacer 6 is interposed between the material surface 1 and the RFIC 3. This positions the RFIC 3 at a distance (floating) from the material surface 1 by the thickness of the spacer 6. This makes it difficult for heat from the material surface 1 to be transferred to the RFIC 3. In this embodiment, thick double-sided tape is used as the spacer 6, which is further divided into multiple pieces. These spacers 6 are arranged at intervals from each other, and a resin protective layer 4 is also formed in these intervals. Therefore, the back side (material surface 1) of the RFIC 3 is also protected by the protective layer 4. The thickness of the spacer 6 is, of course, set to a level that does not directly transfer heat from the material surface 1 to the RFIC 3, and is not limited to a specific value.

Figure 5 shows a manufacturing method for a scaffolding material that employs the spacers 6. First, multiple spacers 6 are fixed to the surface 1 of the material (Figure 5(a)). After that, sheet-like RFICs 3 are fixed onto these spacers 6 (Figure 5(b)). Then, as in the above embodiment, resin is sprayed (Figure 5(c)) or applied (Figure 5(d)). This forms a resin protective layer 4 on the back side as well as the front side of the RFIC 3. Therefore, even if the surface 1 of the material becomes hot, the protective layer 4 on the back side provides heat insulation, ensuring that the RFIC 3 is protected from heat.

It is preferable to use polyurea as a resin that simultaneously exhibits impact resistance and heat insulation properties. Polyurea also dries quickly, so the protective layer 4 can be formed in a short time.

Figure 6 shows an IC tag 2 in which a sheet-shaped RFIC 3 is embedded exactly in the middle of the protective layer 4. The entire sheet-shaped RFIC 3 is covered with the resin protective layer 4, protecting the RFIC 3 from impacts and heat from all directions.

As shown in Figure 7, this IC tag 2 is manufactured by immersing an RFIC 3 in a mold 7. Specifically, in the method shown in the figure, the RFIC 3 is attached to a support wire 9, such as a copper wire, suspended from the lid 8 of the rectangular mold 7 (Figure 7(a)), and then inserted into the mold 7, the lid is closed, and resin is injected (Figure 7(b)). After the resin has descended, the mold is released, completing the IC tag 2 shown in Figure 6. At this point, the excess support wire 9 is trimmed off, and is left in the protective layer 4.

As such, while the method in Figure 7 can only produce one IC tag 2 at a time, the method in Figure 8 can produce multiple IC tags 2 at once. That is, in the method in the figure, multiple sheet-shaped RFICs 3 are fixed to a single base sheet 10, and resin is sprayed from both sides, etc., to create a structure in which all RFICs 3 are covered on both sides with a resin protective layer 4. Then, as shown in Figure 9, a fixing means such as double-sided tape 5 is provided on one side of the structure thus created, and the required number of IC tags 2 can be obtained by cutting it into individual RFICs 3 using scissors 11, etc.

As mentioned above, polyurea is preferred as the resin that forms the protective layer 4 because it is chemically stable, but an additional advantage of polyurea is its flexibility. In other words, while polyurea has excellent strength, it is also flexible, so an IC tag 2 formed with a protective layer 4 from this can be easily fixed to the surface of a pipe-shaped scaffolding material P, as shown in Figure 10.

Also, as shown in Figure 11, if the IC tag 2 is formed into a cylindrical shape and press-fitted into the pipe-shaped scaffolding material P, the IC tag 2 can be easily fixed to the scaffolding material without using adhesives or the like.

To manufacture such a cylindrical IC tag 2, a sheet-shaped RFIC 3 rolled into a cylindrical shape is inserted into a circular mold 12 and immersed in resin, as shown in Figure 12, in the same way as the manufacturing method using the mold shown in Figure 7.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 13, by using a clamp-type split mold 13, the sheet-shaped RFIC 3 can be easily held in a circular shape (Figure 13 (a)). By closing the split mold 13 and spraying resin, etc., a protective layer 4 can first be formed on the inner surface of the RFIC 3. After that, by opening the split mold 13, it can be easily demolded, and by further spraying resin on the surface, a cylindrical IC tag 2 with protective layers 4 on both the inner and outer surfaces can be manufactured.

In all of the above-described embodiments, at least the surface of the sheet-like RFIC 3 is coated with a protective layer 4 made of a resin such as polyurethane. Therefore, even if an impact occurs when constructing the temporary scaffolding, or if the temporary scaffolding becomes very hot after being exposed to sunlight, the internal RFIC 3 will not break down, and the information in the IC tag 2 can be used for a long period of time corresponding to the number of times the scaffolding material is reused.

1 Material surface 2 IC tag 3 RFIC (sheet type)
4 Protective layer 5 Double-sided tape 5a, 5b Release paper 6 Spacer 7 Formwork (rectangular)
8 Lid 9 Support wire 10 Base sheet 11 Scissors 12 Formwork (circular)
13 Split mold

Claims (6)

A scaffolding material for temporary scaffolding having an IC tag fixed to its surface, wherein the IC tag comprises a sheet-shaped RFIC that records identification information for the scaffolding material, and a resin protective layer that covers at least one side of the sheet opposite the RFIC surface, the side facing the material, and the protective layer is impact resistant when the temporary scaffolding is constructed or dismantled. The scaffolding material according to claim 1, wherein the protective layer further has heat-shielding properties. The scaffolding material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the IC tag comprises an RFIC entirely covered with a protective layer. The scaffolding material according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the RFIC of the IC tag is positioned away from the surface of the material. The scaffolding material according to claim 4, in which the RFIC is spaced from the material surface via a spacer. The scaffolding material according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the resin forming the protective layer is polyurea.