HK1229031B - Ic tag issuing device - Google Patents

Description

IC tag issuing device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an IC tag issuing device that writes desired identification data onto each IC tag in a continuous body of IC tags arranged in a plurality of rows in a contactless manner and issues the IC tags.

Background Art

In recent years, RFID (radio frequency identification) has been proposed as a technology that facilitates inventory management and sales management of products by using IC tags equipped with an IC chip and an antenna that can electrically write and read information in a contactless manner. Generally, an IC chip and antenna are formed as an inlay (inlay) formed on a film and enclosed within a paper such as a label or price tag, forming an IC tag. Furthermore, although the inlay equipped with an IC chip and antenna is sometimes referred to as an IC tag, electronic tag, wireless tag, or RFID tag, in this specification, a product label (price tag) or paper such as a label equipped with an IC chip and antenna is referred to as an IC tag.

IC tags are generally provided as an IC tag continuum in which IC tags are continuously connected. An IC tag issuing device has been proposed that writes desired data such as product numbers on the IC tag continuum in a non-contact manner, and prints product and manufacturer data, bar codes encoded with these data, etc. on each surface and issues the IC tags (for example, refer to patent document 1).

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-338179

In recent years, the use of IC tags has increased, leading to a growing demand for high-speed, large-scale issuance of IC tags. However, increasing the issuance speed of IC tags has limited the use of IC tag continuums arranged in a single row, leading to a desire to use IC tag continuums arranged in multiple rows. However, IC tags are easily damaged by external forces applied perpendicular to the paper, leading to a greater risk of damage during transport and printing when using IC tag continuums arranged in multiple rows.

Summary of the Invention

The purpose of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art in view of the above-mentioned problems, and to provide an IC label issuing device that can prevent IC labels from being damaged when conveying an IC label continuum in which multiple columns of IC labels are arranged and when printing IC labels.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problem through the following solution. The IC tag issuing device of the present invention is an IC tag issuing device comprising: a pre-processing device that writes identification data on a plurality of columns of IC tags arranged as an IC tag continuum; a printing device that prints the print data on the IC tags on which the identification data is written; and a post-processing device that reads the identification data written on the IC tags and verifies the same. The IC tag issuing device is characterized in that the conveying unit that conveys the IC tag continuum is composed of a traction paper feed portion that allows a conveying pin to engage with a conveying hole formed in the IC tag continuum in a manner that can be engaged or disengaged to convey the IC tag continuum, and a negative pressure conveying portion that conveys the IC tag continuum while sucking the IC tag continuum by a conveyor belt, and the printing of the IC tag by the printing device causes the toner image transferred to the IC tag to be fixed in a non-contact manner. Furthermore, in the IC tag issuing device of the present invention, the traction paper feed portion may be provided in the printing device, and the negative pressure conveying portion may be provided in the pre-processing device and the post-processing device, respectively. Furthermore, in the IC label issuing device of the present invention, the traction paper feeding section may be arranged on the upstream side compared to the negative pressure conveying section of the pre-processing device, and the traction paper feeding section of the pre-processing device stops driving after conveying the IC label continuum to the pre-processing conveying section and before the IC label continuum reaches the traction paper feeding section of the printing device.

According to the present invention, when conveying a continuous IC label body in which IC labels are arranged in a plurality of rows or printing the IC labels, it is not necessary to press the IC labels from the front side, thereby achieving the effect of preventing the IC labels from being damaged.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG1 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of an embodiment of an IC tag issuing device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view showing a partial structure of the IC tag continuum shown in FIG. 1 .

FIG3 is an enlarged front view and a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the IC tag shown in FIG2 .

FIG. 4 is a front view showing the structure of the inlay shown in FIG. 3 .

FIG. 5 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the pre-processing device shown in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 6 is a schematic top view showing the configuration of the pre-processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 7 is a schematic top view showing the structure of a support plate in the pretreatment apparatus shown in FIG. 1 .

FIG8 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the first antenna unit shown in FIG5 .

FIG9 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the column antenna unit shown in FIG8 .

FIG10 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the column antenna unit shown in FIG8 .

FIG11 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the printing apparatus shown in FIG1 .

FIG. 12 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the post-processing device shown in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control unit that controls the operation of the embodiment of the IC tag issuing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of product information stored in the information storage unit shown in FIG. 13 .

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of page information and an example of reissue information stored in the information storage unit shown in FIG. 13 .

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a conveying operation in the embodiment of the IC tag issuing apparatus according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The IC tag issuing device of this embodiment writes the desired data to each IC chip of the IC tag continuum 1 in a non-contact manner, and prints and issues the product and manufacturer information, as well as a barcode encoded with this information, on the surface of each IC tag continuum. Referring to Figure 1, the IC tag issuing device includes a mounting table 2 for mounting the IC tag continuum 1 before issuance, a pre-processing device 3, a printing device 4, a post-processing device 5, and a mounting table 2 for mounting the issued IC tag continuum 1.

2 , the IC tag continuum 1 is a continuous paper (folded paper) having pages of IC tags 10 arranged in alternating columns. In this embodiment, ten IC tags 10*two rows from the first column to the tenth column, totaling twenty pages, are arranged on one page. Conveying holes 11 are formed at equal intervals on both sides of the IC tag continuum 1. In addition, a detection mark 12 indicating the start of the page is printed near the front end in the conveying direction of the area where the conveying holes 11 are formed. In addition, the IC tag continuum 1 may also be a roll of paper wound into a roller shape. In this case, a detection mark 12 indicating the start of the IC tag 10 may be printed on each row.

Referring to FIG3(a), the IC tag 10 includes an inlay 13. FIG3(a) is an enlarged front view of the area indicated by arrow A in FIG2, and FIG3(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG3(a). The IC tag 10 of this embodiment is a product label. As shown in FIG3(b), the inlay 13 is sandwiched and included between the front paper 10a and the back paper 10b.

Referring to Figure 3(b) and Figure 4 , inlay 13 consists of a substrate 13a, an antenna 14, and an IC chip 15. Inlay 13 is constructed by, for example, forming substrate 13a from a synthetic resin film, forming a linear antenna 14 made of a conductor on substrate 13a, and then bonding IC chip 15 to antenna 14 using a conductive adhesive. Antenna 14 has an elongated shape with its longitudinal direction along the transport direction. A loop antenna element 14a is provided in the center of the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, a dipole antenna element 14b is provided, connected to loop antenna element 14a and extending linearly toward the front and rear ends in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, a meander line antenna element 14c is provided at the front and rear ends of loop antenna element 14a in the longitudinal direction, connected to dipole antenna element 14b and zigzagging in the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction.

The IC chip 15 includes a built-in nonvolatile memory, such as an EEPROM, that retains data even when power is off. The nonvolatile memory of the IC chip 15 includes a tag ID storage area that pre-stores the unique number (hereinafter referred to as the tag ID) for each inlay 13, and a user storage area that can be rewritten by the user. The IC chip 15 has electromagnetic induction communication capabilities, which transfer energy and signals by magnetically coupling the reader/writer's antenna coil with the loop antenna element 14a of the antenna 14, and radio wave communication capabilities, which transfer energy and signals by exchanging radio waves between the reader/writer's antenna, the dipole antenna element 14b, and the meander line antenna element 14c of the antenna 14.

The loading platform 2 includes a loading plate 21 on which the continuous IC tag 1 is loaded. The loading plate 21 is configured to be able to change its position and angle relative to the loading surface of the pre-processing device 3 and the post-processing device 5 according to the size and paper quality of the continuous IC tag 1. This allows the continuous IC tag 1 loaded on the loading platform 2 to be smoothly fed to the pre-processing device 3, and allows the continuous IC tag 1 issued from the post-processing device 5 to be neatly loaded on the loading platform 2.

The pre-processing device 3 is an encoding device that writes user-desired data, such as a product number, into each IC tag 10 (the user storage area of the IC chip 15) of the IC tag continuum 1. Referring to Figures 1 and 5 , the pre-processing device 3 includes a first antenna unit 31, a second antenna unit 32, a third antenna unit 33, a first traction paper feed unit 61, a first conveyor unit 62, a second conveyor unit 63, a first negative pressure suction unit 71, a second negative pressure suction unit 72, a third negative pressure suction unit 73, a fourth negative pressure suction unit 74, a first sensor 81, a second sensor 82, a third sensor 83, and a first rotary encoder unit 91.

The first traction feed unit 61 is located at the farthest upstream position, where it receives the unissued IC tag continuum 1. Referring to Figures 5 to 7 , it includes an endless belt 61c that rotates between a drive roller 61a and a driven roller 61b, and a first traction feed drive motor 61d that rotates the endless belt 61c via the drive roller 61a. The endless belt 61c is provided with feed pins 61e that engage with the feed holes 11 of the IC tag continuum 1. As the first traction feed unit 61 rotates the endless belt 61c, the feed pins 61e sequentially engage and disengage with the feed holes 11, pulling and feeding the IC tag continuum 1 toward the downstream first conveyor unit 62. Furthermore, the drive roller 61a of the first traction feed unit 61 includes a first rotary encoder 91 that detects the rotation of the drive roller 61a. A first sensor 81 is provided near the first traction feed unit 61 to detect the detection mark 12 of the IC tag continuum 1. Thus, the position of the continuous IC tag 1 (IC tag 10 ) in the pre-processing device 3 can be detected based on the detection results of the first sensor 81 and the first rotary encoder unit 91 .

The first conveyor unit 62 is located downstream of the first traction paper feed unit 61 and includes an endless conveyor belt 62c that rotates between a drive roller 62a and a driven roller 62b, and a first conveyor belt drive motor 62d that rotates the conveyor belt 62c via the drive roller 62a. The first conveyor unit 62 rotates the conveyor belt 62c to transport the continuous IC tag 1, placed on top of the conveyor belt 62c, toward the downstream second conveyor unit 63. Furthermore, a second sensor 82 for detecting the detection mark 12 of the continuous IC tag 1 is provided between the first conveyor unit 62 and the second conveyor unit 63. This sensor is configured to detect when the leading edge of a page has reached between the first and second conveyor units 62 and 63.

Furthermore, a support plate 62e is disposed between the drive roller 62a and the driven roller 62b below the upper conveyor belt 62c, in contact with the lower surface (inner circumference) of the upper conveyor belt 62c. Therefore, when the continuous IC tag body 1 is conveyed from upstream to downstream, the conveyor belt 62c slides on the support plate 62e and rotates.

A plurality of suction holes 71b are formed on the support plate 62e, facing the conveyor belt 62c, along the conveying direction. These holes draw air in due to the rotation of the first suction fan 71a of the first negative pressure suction unit 71, and the second suction holes 72b draw air in due to the rotation of the second suction fan 72a of the second negative pressure suction unit 72. Furthermore, a plurality of through-holes 62f are formed in the conveyor belt 62c. Thus, the negative pressure of the first and second negative pressure suction units 71, 72 ensures that the continuous IC tag 1 is conveyed in close contact with the conveyor belt 62c.

The second conveyor unit 63 is located downstream of the first conveyor unit 62 and includes an endless conveyor belt 63c that rotates between a drive roller 63a and a driven roller 63b, and a second conveyor belt drive motor 63d that rotates the conveyor belt 63c via the drive roller 63a. The second conveyor unit 63 rotates the conveyor belt 63c to transport the continuous IC tag 1 placed on the conveyor belt 63c toward the downstream printer 4. Furthermore, a third sensor 83 is provided between the second conveyor unit 63 and the printer 4 to detect the detection mark 12 of the continuous IC tag 1. This sensor is configured to detect when the leading edge of a page has reached between the second conveyor unit 63 and the printer 4.

Furthermore, a support plate 63e is disposed between the drive roller 63a and the driven roller 63b below the upper conveyor belt 63c, in contact with the lower surface (inner circumference) of the upper conveyor belt 63c. Therefore, when the continuous IC tag body 1 is conveyed from upstream to downstream, the conveyor belt 63c rotates while sliding on the support plate 63e.

A plurality of suction holes 73b, which draw air in due to the rotation of the third suction fan 73a of the third negative pressure suction unit 73, and a plurality of suction holes 74b, which draw air in due to the rotation of the fourth suction fan 74a of the fourth negative pressure suction unit 74, are formed in the support plate 63e at a position opposite the conveyor belt 63c. Furthermore, a plurality of through holes 63f are formed in the conveyor belt 63c. Thus, the negative pressure of the third and fourth negative pressure suction units 73, 74 ensures that the continuous IC tag 1 is conveyed in close contact with the conveyor belt 63c.

The first antenna unit 31 and the second antenna unit 32 are arranged above the first conveying unit 62 so as to be close to and opposite to each other. The first antenna unit 31 and the second antenna unit 32 are antennas that communicate with the IC tag 10 by electromagnetic induction and have the same structure. The first antenna unit 31 is used to read the tag ID from the IC tag 10. The second antenna unit 32 is used to write desired data such as the product number to the IC tag 10 (the user storage area of the IC chip 15). Hereinafter, the data written to the IC tag 10 will be referred to as identification data. The structure of the first antenna unit 31 will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 8 to 10.

8( a ), the first antenna unit 31 is provided with column antennas 31a to 31j at positions facing the IC tags 10 in the first to tenth columns, respectively, of the continuous IC tag body 1 being conveyed by the first conveyor unit 62. The column antennas 31a to 31j are divided into upstream column antennas 31a to 31e and downstream column antennas 31f to 31j, arranged in a zigzag pattern. The upstream column antennas 31a to 31e are arranged facing the IC tags 10 in odd-numbered columns, while the downstream column antennas 31f to 31j are arranged facing the IC tags 10 in even-numbered columns.

The shield plate 310 supports the column antenna units 31a to 31j and is made of a metal such as aluminum or a conductive material such as a conductive resin. The shield plate 310 is positioned close to and parallel to the continuous IC tag 1 being conveyed by the first conveyor 62. The openings 311a to 311j corresponding to the column antenna units 31a to 31j are formed in a zigzag pattern, with upstream openings 311a to 311e and downstream openings 311f to 311j. The openings 311a to 311j are elongated, generally rectangular, with the conveyance direction as their longitudinal direction. The upstream openings 311a to 311e differ in shape only at one corner on the upstream side, while the downstream openings 311f to 311j differ in shape only at one corner on the downstream side. The areas between the upstream openings 311a to 311e and the downstream openings 311f to 311j in the shield plate 310 serve as interference prevention zones to prevent communication interference.

9 and 10 , column antennas 31a to 31j are composed of a printed circuit board 312 having a shape substantially identical to openings 311a to 311j, a loop antenna element 313 formed on the bottom surface of printed circuit board 312, an antenna terminal 314 provided upright on the upper surface opposite to loop antenna element 313 at the end of printed circuit board 312, a ferrite sheet 315, and an antenna case 316 covering printed circuit board 312 from the top. The shape of printed circuit board 312 differs only in one corner, where antenna terminal 314 is provided upright. The antenna housing 316 is made of a metal such as aluminum or a conductive material such as a conductive resin. It has a terminal opening 316a through which the antenna terminal 314 passes. The antenna terminal 314 is inserted through the terminal opening 316a with a ferrite sheet 315 sandwiched between the antenna housing 316 and the printed circuit board 312. A retaining ring (not shown) is attached to the antenna terminal 314, securing the printed circuit board 312 to the antenna housing 316. The ferrite sheet 315 covers the loop antenna element 313 from the top side of the printed circuit board 312, suppressing radiation from the printed circuit board 312. Furthermore, the antenna housing 316 is secured to the top side of the shield plate 310 with screws 317, with the printed circuit board 312 fitting into the openings 311a to 311j. In this state, the surface of the printed circuit board 312, except for the surface facing the continuous IC tag 1, is electromagnetically shielded. The surface of the printed circuit board 312, where the loop antenna element 313 is formed, directly faces the continuous IC tag 1 being conveyed by the first conveyor 62.

Because the openings 311a-311j and the printed circuit board 312 have elongated, roughly rectangular shapes that differ in shape only at one corner, they can be installed in a single orientation. Since the upstream openings 311a-311e differ in shape only at one corner, the antenna terminals 314 connected to the ends of the printed circuit board 312 in the upstream column antenna sections 31a-31e are located upstream. Furthermore, since the downstream openings 311f-311j differ in shape only at one corner, the antenna terminals 314 connected to the ends of the printed circuit board 312 in the downstream column antenna sections 31f-31j are located downstream. Thus, the antenna terminals 314 of the upstream column antenna sections 31a-31e and the downstream column antenna sections 31f-31j are arranged in directions that separate them from each other. This prevents interference between the antenna terminals 314 of the column antenna units 31 a to 31 e arranged on the upstream side and the antenna terminals 314 of the column antenna units 31 f to 31 j arranged on the downstream side.

Reference numeral 318 in Figures 9 and 10 denotes a non-adhesive coated plate, such as a silicone coated plate, affixed to the lower surface of the shield plate 310 to cover the openings 311a to 311j. If the IC tag continuum 1 is temporarily attached to a backing sheet, the non-adhesive coated plate 318 prevents the tags from adhering to the shield plate 310. Furthermore, the non-adhesive coated plate 318 can be affixed to cover the entire shield plate 310, including the openings 311a to 311j on the lower surface.

The third antenna unit 33 is disposed above and opposite the second transport unit 63. The third antenna unit 33 communicates with the IC tag 10 using a different radio wave method from the first antenna unit 31 and the second antenna unit 32. The third antenna unit 33 is used to write identification data to the IC tag 10.

The printing device 4 is a printing unit that prints product and manufacturer data, as well as barcodes encoded with these data, on the surfaces of each IC tag 10 in the IC tag continuum 1. Hereinafter, the data printed on the surfaces of the IC tags 10, such as product and manufacturer data and barcodes encoded with these data, will be referred to as print data. Referring to Figure 11 , the printing device 4 includes a printing unit 41, a light fixing unit 42, and a filter unit 43. Referring to Figure 1 , the printing device 4 also includes a second traction paper feed unit 64, a third conveying unit 65, a discharge roller 66, and a fifth negative pressure suction unit 75.

The second traction paper feed unit 64 is located at the farthest upstream position for receiving the continuous IC tag 1 from the pre-processing device 3. Referring to Figure 11 , it includes an endless belt 64c that rotates between a driving roller 64a and a driven roller 64b, and a second traction paper feed drive motor 64d that rotates the endless belt 64c via the driving roller 64a. The endless belt 64c is provided with a feed pin 64e that engages with the feed hole 11 of the continuous IC tag 1. Thus, the second traction paper feed unit 64 rotates the endless belt 64c, causing the feed pin 64e to sequentially engage and disengage with the feed hole 11, thereby traction-feeding the continuous IC tag 1 toward the downstream printing unit 41. Furthermore, the drive roller 64a of the second traction paper feed unit 64 includes a second rotary encoder unit 92 that detects the rotation of the drive roller 64a. A fourth sensor 84 that detects the detection mark 12 of the continuous IC tag 1 is provided between the second traction paper feed unit 64 and the printing unit 41. Thus, the position of the continuous IC tag 1 (IC tag 10 ) in the printing device 4 can be detected based on the detection results of the fourth sensor 84 and the second rotary encoder unit 92 .

The printing unit 41 uses an electrophotographic method, such as laser, that forms a latent image on a photosensitive drum using laser light, develops the latent image using toner, and then transfers the image to the surface of the IC tag 10. The printing unit 41 prints product and manufacturer data, along with a barcode encoded with this data, on the surface of each IC tag 10 in the IC tag continuum 1. It also prints the page number in an area near the front end of the page other than the IC tag 10, for example, in the area where the feed hole 11 is formed. The printing method used by the printing unit 41 is not limited to electrophotography; thermal transfer, thermal, or inkjet printing may also be used.

The third conveyor unit 65 is located downstream of the printing unit 41 and includes an endless conveyor belt 65c that rotates between a driving roller 65a and a driven roller 65b, and a third conveyor belt drive motor 65d that rotates the conveyor belt 65c via the driving roller 65a. The third conveyor unit 65 rotates the conveyor belt 65c to convey the continuous IC tag 1 placed on the conveyor belt 65c toward the post-processing device 5 via a downstream discharge roller 66.

Furthermore, a support plate 65e is disposed between the drive roller 65a and the driven roller 65b below the upper conveyor belt 65c, in contact with the lower surface (inner circumference) of the upper conveyor belt 65c. Therefore, when the continuous IC tag body 1 is conveyed from upstream to downstream, the conveyor belt 65c slides on the support plate 65e and rotates.

A plurality of suction holes are formed along the conveying direction at a position on the support plate 65e that faces the conveyor belt 65c. These holes draw air in due to the rotation of the fifth suction fan 75a of the fifth negative pressure suction unit 75. Furthermore, a plurality of through holes are formed in the conveyor belt 65c. Therefore, the negative pressure of the fifth negative pressure suction unit 75 allows the continuous IC tag 1 to be conveyed in close contact with the conveyor belt 65c.

The optical fixing unit 42 irradiates the surface of the continuous IC tag 1 conveyed by the third conveyor unit 65 with a flash of light, such as a xenon tube, to melt the toner transferred by the printing unit 41 and fix the toner image. This allows the toner image to be fixed in a non-contact manner without damaging the IC tag 10 (due to external forces).

The filter unit 43 is an air filter for removing gas and odor generated during light fixing by the light fixing unit 42 .

The post-processing device 5 verifies that the identification data is correctly written on each IC tag 10 of the IC tag continuum 1 and marks the IC tags 10 in which the identification data is incorrectly written. Referring to FIG12 , the post-processing device 5 includes a fourth antenna unit 51, an embossing unit 52, a fourth conveying unit 67, a sixth negative pressure suction unit 76, a seventh negative pressure suction unit 77, a page number reading unit 93, a fifth sensor 85, a sixth sensor 86, and a seventh sensor 87.

The fourth conveyor unit 67 is located upstream of the post-processing device 5, which receives the continuous IC tag 1 from the printer 4. It includes an endless conveyor belt 67c that rotates between a drive roller 67a and a driven roller 67b, and a fourth conveyor belt drive motor 67d that rotates the conveyor belt 67c via the drive roller 67a. The fourth conveyor unit 67 rotates the conveyor belt 67c to convey the continuous IC tag 1 placed on the conveyor belt 67c toward the downstream embossing unit 52. Furthermore, a sixth sensor 86 is provided between the fourth conveyor unit 67 and the embossing unit 52 to detect the detection mark 12 of the continuous IC tag 1. This sensor is configured to detect when the leading edge of a page has arrived between the fourth conveyor unit 67 and the embossing unit 52. Furthermore, a seventh sensor 87 is provided at the discharge outlet of the embossing unit 52 to detect the detection mark 12 of the continuous IC tag 1. This sensor is configured to detect paper jams, etc., in the embossing unit 52.

Furthermore, a support plate 67e is disposed between the drive roller 67a and the driven roller 67b below the upper conveyor belt 67c, in contact with the lower surface (inner circumference) of the upper conveyor belt 67c. Therefore, when the continuous IC tag body 1 is conveyed from upstream to downstream, the conveyor belt 67c rotates while sliding on the support plate 67e.

A plurality of suction holes are formed along the conveying direction of the support plate 67e at a position opposite the conveyor belt 67c. These holes draw air in due to the rotation of the sixth suction fan 76a of the sixth negative pressure suction unit 76, and the seventh suction fan 77a of the seventh negative pressure suction unit 77. Furthermore, a plurality of through holes are formed in the conveyor belt 67c. Therefore, the negative pressure of the sixth and seventh negative pressure suction units 76 and 77 keeps the continuous IC tag 1 in close contact with the conveyor belt 67c while being conveyed.

The fifth sensor 85 is disposed near the most upstream position in the post-processing device 5 that receives the continuous IC tag body 1 from the printing device 4, and is configured to detect when the leading edge of a page has arrived at the post-processing device 5. Furthermore, the page number reading unit 93 is also disposed near the most upstream position in the post-processing device 5 that receives the continuous IC tag body 1 from the printing device 4. When the fifth sensor 85 detects that the leading edge of a page has arrived at the post-processing device 5, the page number reading unit 93 reads the page number printed by the printing device 4 by imaging the surface of the continuous IC tag body 1.

The fourth antenna unit 51 is disposed above and opposite the fourth transport unit 67. The fourth antenna unit 51 communicates with the IC tag 10 using a different radio wave method from the first antenna unit 31 and the second antenna unit 32. The fourth antenna unit 51 is used to read the tag ID from the IC tag 10 transported by the fourth transport unit 67 and write identification data to the IC tag 10.

Referring to Figure 12 , the embossing unit 52 is equipped with a cutter assembly 53 corresponding to each of the multiple rows of IC tags 10. The cutter assembly 53 is a marking unit that performs the embossing process by cutting off and bending a portion of the end of the IC tag 10. Furthermore, the embossing unit 52 uses the cutter assembly 53 to cut off and bend a portion of the end of an IC tag 10 whose identification data was not correctly written or whose tag ID was not correctly read. Furthermore, the IC tag continuum 1 consisting of embossed IC tags 10 is cut along the label cutting line (see Figure 2 ) for each IC tag 10. The cut IC tags 10 are stacked with their front and back surfaces in contact with each other within a box (not shown) having a unidirectional groove formed therein. In this case, since the embossed IC tags 10 have a portion (cut piece) of their ends cut off and bent, this cut piece creates a gap between them and adjacent IC tags 10, allowing the embossed IC tags 10 to be easily distinguished.

The first antenna unit 31, the second antenna unit 32, the third antenna unit 33, and the fourth antenna unit 51 are arranged opposite the conveyor belt 62c and the support plate 62e of the first conveyor unit 62, the conveyor belt 63c and the support plate 63e of the second conveyor unit 63, and the conveyor belt 67c and the support plate 67e of the fourth conveyor unit 67, respectively. Therefore, in order to maintain good communication between each antenna unit and the facing IC tag continuum 1 (IC tag 10), the conveyor belts 62c, 63c, 67c and the support plates 62e, 63e, 67e preferably have a low dielectric constant that does not change the resonant frequency of the antenna of the IC tag continuum 1 (IC tag 10). Furthermore, since the conveyor belts 62c, 63c, and 67c slide while being negatively pressed against the support plates 62e, 63e, and 67e, respectively, the wear caused by the sliding of the conveyor belts 62c, 63c, and 67c against the support plates 62e, 63e, and 67e is minimized. Furthermore, it is important that the conveyor belts 62c, 63c, and 67c and the support plates 62e, 63e, and 67e have excellent friction resistance (made of a material with a low coefficient of friction) and are not susceptible to static electricity. Therefore, in this embodiment, polyurethane belts are used as the conveyor belts 62c, 63c, and 67c, and POM (polyoxymethylene) plates are used as the support plates 62e, 63e, and 67e.

Next, the configuration of the control unit that controls the operation of the IC tag issuing device of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figures 13 to 15. Referring to Figure 13, the IC tag issuing device of this embodiment includes a transport control unit 101, a write control unit 102, a print control unit 103, an information storage unit 110, a tag ID reading unit 121, a first identification data writing unit 122, a second identification data writing unit 123, and an identification data reading unit 124.

The conveyance control unit 101 is an information processing unit such as a microcomputer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The ROM of the conveyance control unit 101 stores a control program for controlling the conveyance of the continuous IC tag 1 . The conveying control unit 101 reads out the control program stored in the ROM and expands the control program in the RAM, thereby controlling the conveying component group (the first traction paper feed drive motor 61d, the first conveyor belt drive motor 62d, the second conveyor belt drive motor 63d, the second traction paper feed drive motor 64d, the third conveyor belt drive motor 65d, the fourth conveyor belt drive motor 67d) and the suction component group (the first suction fan 71a, the second suction fan 72a, the third suction fan 73a, the fourth suction fan 74a, the fifth suction fan 75a, the sixth suction fan 76a, the seventh suction fan 77a) according to the input from the position sensor group (the first sensor 81, the first rotary encoder unit 91, the second sensor 82, the third sensor 83, the fourth sensor 84, the second rotary encoder unit 92, the fifth sensor 85, the sixth sensor 86, and the seventh sensor 87) to convey the IC tag continuum 1.

The write control unit 102 is an information processing unit such as a microcomputer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory). The ROM of the write control unit 102 stores a control program for writing identification data to each IC tag 10 in the IC tag continuum 1. The write control unit 102 reads the control program stored in the ROM and expands it in the RAM to control the communication component group (tag ID reading unit 121, first identification data writing unit 122, second identification data writing unit 123, and identification data reading unit 124) to write identification data to each IC tag 10 in the IC tag continuum 1.

The print control unit 103 is an information processing unit such as a microcomputer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory). The ROM of the print control unit 103 stores a control program for operating the print unit 41 and the optical fixing unit 42. The print control unit 103 reads the control program stored in the ROM and expands it in the RAM to control the print unit 41 and the optical fixing unit 42, thereby printing print data on the surface of each IC tag 10 of the IC tag continuum 1.

The information storage unit 110 is a storage device such as a semiconductor memory or a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and includes a product information storage unit 111 , a page information storage unit 112 , and a reissue information storage unit 113 .

The product information storage unit 111 is a storage unit for storing product information input via a network (not shown) or various recording media. As shown in Figure 14, the product information is a summary of information consisting of the identification data (management number, etc.) written on each IC tag 10 in the IC tag continuum 1, the print data (product number, product name, etc.) printed on the surface of each IC tag 10 in the IC tag continuum 1, and the tag ID of the IC tag 10 in which the identification data is written. Furthermore, the tag ID is blank until the identification data is written on the IC tag 10, as shown in Figure 14 (a). After the identification data is written on the IC tag 10, the tag ID of the IC tag 10 in which the identification data is written is shown in Figure 14 (b).

The page information storage unit 112 is a storage unit that stores page information generated for each page of the IC tag continuum 1. Referring to FIG15(a), the page information consists of row and column information indicating the position of the tag ID on the page, the read tag ID, the identification data (such as the management number) written on each IC tag 10 on a page, the print data (such as the product number and product name) printed on the surface of each IC tag 10 on a page, and the tag ID of the IC tag 10 on which the identification data is written. Alternatively, as the page information storage unit 112, a storage area may be secured in the RAM of the write control unit 102 or the print control unit 103 to be used as a buffer.

The reissue information storage unit 113 stores the reissue information from the last batch of reissues. Referring to Figure 15(b), the reissue information consists of identification data indicating a failed write attempt to the IC tag 10 and the corresponding print data (product number, product name, etc.). Alternatively, a flag indicating whether the write attempt to the IC tag 10 was successful may be added to the product information stored in the product information storage unit 111, and the product information may be used as the reissue information.

The tag ID reader 121 is a reader/writer that uses the first antenna 31 to read the tag ID from the IC tag 10 of the continuous IC tag body 1 conveyed by the first conveyor 62 by electromagnetic induction. Furthermore, the tag ID reader 121 is configured to have the function of communicating with the IC tag 10 using multiple frequency channels with different frequencies, with different frequency channels being used at least for the adjacent columns of antennas 31a to 31j in the width direction and the diagonal direction.

The first identification data writing unit 122 is a reader/writer that uses the second antenna unit 32 to write identification data to the IC tags 10 of the continuous IC tag body 1 conveyed by the first conveyor unit 62 by electromagnetic induction. Furthermore, the first identification data writing unit 122 is configured to have the function of communicating with the IC tags 10 using multiple channels with different frequencies, with different channels being used at least for the adjacent column antenna units 32a to 32j in the width direction and the diagonal direction.

The second identification data writing unit 123 is a reader/writer that uses the third antenna unit 33 to write identification data into the IC tags 10 of the IC tag continuum 1 conveyed by the second conveying unit 63 by radio waves.

The identification data reading unit 124 is a reader/writer that uses the fourth antenna unit 51 to read the tag ID and identification data from the IC tags 10 of the IC tag continuum 1 conveyed by the fourth conveyance unit 67 by radio waves.

Next, the conveying action of the IC tag continuum 1 in the IC tag issuing device of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG16 . When the IC tag continuum 1 is set in the first traction paper feed unit 61 and the start button (not shown) is pressed, the conveying control unit 101 controls the conveying component group (the first traction paper feed drive motor 61d, the first conveyor belt drive motor 62d, the second conveyor belt drive motor 63d, the second traction paper feed drive motor 64d, the third conveyor belt drive motor 65d, and the fourth conveyor belt drive motor 67d) and the suction component group (the first suction fan 71a, the second suction fan 72a, the third suction fan 73a, the fourth suction fan 74a, the fifth suction fan 75a, the sixth suction fan 76a, and the seventh suction fan 77a) to convey the IC tag continuum 1. In the IC tag issuing device of this embodiment, the conveying of the IC tag continuum 1 is performed based on the conveying speed of the second traction paper feed unit 64 of the printing device 4. That is, because the feed pins 64e of the second traction paper feed unit 64 engage with the feed holes 11, the continuous IC tag 1 is fed at the feed speed of the second traction paper feed unit 64. In contrast, the feed speeds of the first and second feed units 62, 63 of the pre-processing device 3 are set to be slower than the feed speed of the second traction paper feed unit 64, and the feed speed of the fourth feed unit 67 of the post-processing device 5 is set to be faster than the feed speed of the second traction paper feed unit 64. Therefore, the feed speed of the continuous IC tag 1 in the first and second feed units 62, 63 of the pre-processing device 3 is faster than the rotation speed of the conveyor belts 62c, 63c of the first and second feed units 62, 63, respectively. As a result, the continuous IC tag 1 is pulled downstream in the feed direction and fed while sliding slightly on the conveyor belts 62c, 63c. Furthermore, in the fourth conveyor section 67 of the post-processing apparatus 5, the speed at which the continuous IC tag 1 is conveyed is slower than the rotational speed of the conveyor belt 67c of the fourth conveyor section 67. Therefore, the continuous IC tag 1 is pulled upstream in the conveyance direction and conveyed while sliding slightly on the conveyor belt 67c. At this time, the negative pressure applied by the first, second, third, fourth, sixth, and seventh negative pressure suction sections 71, 72, 73, 74, 76, and 77 forces the continuous IC tag 1 to adhere closely to the conveyor belts 62c, 63c, and 67c. Consequently, the continuous IC tag 1 is conveyed with tension maintained in the conveyance direction, without any flapping noise, through the first and second conveyor sections 62, 63 of the pre-processing apparatus 3 and the fourth conveyor section 67 of the post-processing apparatus 5. Furthermore, based on the friction of the conveyor belts and the suction force of the suction fans, the conveying speeds of the first and second conveyor units 62, 63 of the pre-processing device 3 are set to 90% to 99% of the conveying speed of the second traction paper feed unit 64, and the conveying speed of the fourth conveyor unit 67 of the post-processing device 5 is set to 101% to 110%. This prevents deterioration of the feed holes 11 (damage or loss of the feed holes 11), prevents skewing of the IC tag continuum 1, prevents wrinkles in the IC tag continuum 1, and prevents paper shortages caused by dotted lines between pages of the IC tag continuum 1. Furthermore, the first traction paper feed unit 61 of the pre-processing device 3 is driven only in the initial stage until the leading end of the IC tag continuum 1 reaches the printer 4. Thereafter, it stops and enters a released state. Therefore, due to the engagement of the feed pin 61e with the feed hole 11, the first traction paper feed unit 61 of the pre-processing device 3 rotates at the speed required to transport the IC tag continuum 1 through the second traction paper feed unit 64 of the printer 4.

The conveyance control unit 101 has a function of changing the suction force of the first, second, third, fourth, sixth, and seventh negative pressure suction units 71, 72, 73, 74, 76, and 77 to multiple levels (ten levels in this embodiment) by controlling the rotational speeds of the first, second, third, fourth, sixth, and seventh suction fans 77a, 71a, 72a, 73a, 74a, 76a, and 77a, respectively. Furthermore, the conveyance control unit 101 receives paper information (paper type, paper thickness, etc.) of the IC tag continuum 1 via an input unit (not shown). While the IC tag continuum 1 is being placed on the first traction paper feed unit 61 and reaches the printing device 4 (second traction paper feed unit 64), the conveyance control unit 1 is conveyed in the pre-processing device 3 (first conveying unit 62, second conveying unit 63) at a suction force corresponding to the paper information of the IC tag continuum 1.

FIG16(a) is an explanatory diagram for explaining a method for controlling the suction force when "thick paper" such as a "product label" (price tag) is used as the paper information of the IC tag continuum 1. Furthermore, the numerical values in the tables in FIG16(a) and (b) represent the suction force levels of the first, second, third, fourth, sixth, and seventh negative pressure suction units 71, 72, 73, 74, 76, and 76, respectively, with larger numerical values indicating stronger suction force. When "thicker paper" is used as the paper information, if the continuous IC tag 1 is placed on the first traction paper feed section 61 and the start button (not shown) is pressed, the conveyance control section 101 controls the suction component group. The suction force of the first negative pressure suction section 71, located in the first conveyance section 62 at the position where the continuous IC tag 1 is taken in from the first traction paper feed section 61, is controlled to "7." The suction forces of the second negative pressure suction section 72 in the first conveyance section 62, and the third and fourth negative pressure suction sections 73 and 74 in the second conveyance section 63 are controlled to "3." The suction force "3" is the suction force used for normal conveyance of the continuous IC tag 1 after it reaches the printing device 4, based on the second traction paper feed section 64. This force remains the same regardless of the paper information. Therefore, when the continuous IC tag 1 is being conveyed only by the first traction paper feed section 61 and the first conveyance section 62, the suction force (the first negative pressure suction section 71) at the position where the continuous IC tag 1 is taken in from the first traction paper feed section 61 is controlled to be stronger than normal. Thus, when the continuous IC tag body 1 is handed over from the first traction paper feeding unit 61 to the first conveying unit 62 , the continuous IC tag body 1 can be prevented from bending or tilting, and the front end of the continuous IC tag body 1 can be prevented from floating up.

Next, when the second sensor 82 detects the detection mark 12 on the continuous IC tag body 1, the conveyance control unit 101 stops driving the first traction feed unit 61, releasing it. The conveyance control unit 101 then controls the suction power of the first and second negative pressure suction units 71, 72 of the first conveyance unit 62, and the third negative pressure suction unit 73 of the second conveyance unit 63 to "3." It also controls the suction power of the fourth negative pressure suction unit 74 of the second conveyance unit 63, located at the position where the continuous IC tag body 1 is delivered to the printer 4 (the second traction feed unit 64), to "7." Consequently, while the continuous IC tag body 1 is being conveyed only by the first and second conveyance units 62, 63, the suction power at the position where the continuous IC tag body 1 is delivered to the printer 4 (the fourth negative pressure suction unit 74) is controlled to be stronger than usual. This prevents the continuous IC tag body 1 from bending, tilting, or lifting during delivery, ensuring reliable delivery from the second conveyance unit 63 to the printer 4. When the detection mark 12 of the continuous IC tag 1 is detected by the third sensor 83 and the continuous IC tag 1 is delivered from the second conveying unit 63 to the printing device 4 (second traction paper feeding unit 64), the process proceeds to the above-mentioned normal operation.

Furthermore, in the printing device 4, an initialization process is performed to move the transport pin 64e of the second traction paper feed unit 64 to its home position when the continuous IC tag body 1 is retracted. This initialization process is configured to be performed at the time when the second sensor 82 detects the detection mark 12 of the continuous IC tag body 1 before the continuous IC tag body 1 reaches the printing device 4. Furthermore, when the third sensor 83 detects the detection mark 12 of the continuous IC tag body 1, the transport control unit 101 starts driving the second traction paper feed unit 64 at a predetermined time, causing the transport pin 64e to engage with the transport hole 11 of the continuous IC tag body 1 delivered from the second transport unit 63.

The second traction paper feed section 64 is also equipped with a paper detection sensor (not shown) for detecting the IC tag continuum 1. This paper detection sensor is comprised of, for example, an actuator that rotates in contact with the IC tag continuum 1 being conveyed by the second traction paper feed section 64, and a photosensor that detects the rotation of the actuator. Furthermore, when the IC tag continuum 1 is transferred from the second conveyor section 63 to the second traction paper feed section 64, the conveyance control section 101 determines whether the transfer of the IC tag continuum 1 is successful based on the output from the paper detection sensor (not shown) of the second traction paper feed section 64. If the paper detection sensor (not shown) of the second traction paper feed section 64 detects the IC tag continuum 1 and determines that the transfer is successful, the conveyance control section 101 directly transitions to the normal operation described above. On the other hand, if the paper detection sensor (not shown) of the second traction paper feed section 64 does not detect the IC tag continuum 1 and determines that the transfer has failed (the conveying pin 64e does not properly engage with the conveying hole 11 of the IC tag continuum 1), the conveyance control section 101 performs a retry operation. The retry operation reverses the conveying direction of the first conveying unit 62 and the second conveying unit 63, returns the front end of the IC tag continuum 1 to the second conveying unit 63, initializes the second traction paper feed unit 64, and rotates the conveying direction of the first conveying unit 62 and the second conveying unit 63 forward to feed the IC tag continuum 1 into the second traction paper feed unit 64. Furthermore, the number of retry operations is pre-set. If the transfer of the IC tag continuum 1 is unsuccessful even after the pre-set number of retry operations, the conveying control unit 101 determines that there is a paper jam and performs a paper jam handling operation to stop the operation of the device, reverse the conveying direction of the first conveying unit 62 and the second conveying unit 63, and return the IC tag continuum 1 to the loading platform 2.

Figure 16(b) is an explanatory diagram illustrating the suction control method when "thinner paper" such as a label is used as the paper information for the IC tag continuum 1. When "thinner paper" is used as the paper information, the IC tag continuum 1 is placed in the first traction paper feed section 61 and the start button (not shown) is pressed. The conveyance control section 101 controls the suction component group to set the suction forces of the first and second negative pressure suction sections 71, 72 of the first conveyance section 62, and the third and fourth negative pressure suction sections 73, 74 of the second conveyance section 63 to the maximum value of "10." This state continues until the detection mark 12 of the IC tag continuum 1 is detected by the third sensor 83, and the IC tag continuum 1 is delivered from the second conveyance section 63 to the printing device 4. When the IC tag continuum 1 is a "thinner paper" such as a label, it is easy for the IC tag continuum 1 to bend, tilt, and the front end of the IC tag continuum 1 to float up. Therefore, until the IC tag continuum 1 is switched to the transportation based on the second traction paper feeding part 64 after reaching the printing device 4, it is in a state of being attracted by the first conveying part 62 and the second conveying part 63 with a strong attraction.

In this embodiment, the suction power of the sixth and seventh negative pressure suction units 76 and 77 in the fourth conveying unit 67 of the post-processing device 5 is constantly controlled to "5." Alternatively, the suction power of the first, second, third, fourth, sixth, and seventh negative pressure suction units 71, 72, 73, 74, 76, and 77, as well as the timing for switching the suction power, may be set manually.

In this embodiment, the paper information of the IC tag continuum 1 is set according to the paper thickness, and the suction force is controlled until the leading end of the IC tag continuum 1 reaches the printing device 4. However, the width of the IC tag continuum 1 may be set as the paper information, and the suction force is controlled until the leading end of the IC tag continuum 1 reaches the printing device 4. In this case, the suction force may be controlled so that the narrower the width of the IC tag continuum 1, in other words, the smaller the area, the stronger the suction force.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, there is an IC tag issuing device including a pre-processing device 3 for writing identification data on a plurality of columns of IC tags 10 arranged as an IC tag continuum 1, a printing device 4 for printing print data on the IC tags 10 with the identification data written thereon, and a post-processing device 5 for reading the identification data written on the IC tags 10 and verifying the same, wherein the conveying unit for conveying the IC tag continuum 1 is configured to cause the conveying pins (61e, 64e) to engage with or separate from the conveying holes formed on the IC tag continuum 1. The apparatus 4 is configured to include a traction paper feed section (first traction paper feed section 61 and second traction paper feed section 64) that engages with the conveyor belt 11 to convey the continuous IC tag body 1, and a negative pressure conveying section (first conveying section 62, second conveying section 63, third conveying section 65, and fourth conveying section 67) that conveys the continuous IC tag body 1 while attracting the continuous IC tag body 1 on conveyor belts (62c, 63c, 65c, and 67c). The apparatus 4 is configured to optically fix the toner image transferred to the continuous IC tag body 10 by the printing section 41 in a non-contact manner during printing of the continuous IC tag body 10 by the printing section 41. This configuration eliminates the need to press the front surface of the continuous IC tag body 1 when conveying the continuous IC tag body 1 in which multiple rows of IC tags 10 are arranged, and when printing on the continuous IC tag body 10, thereby preventing damage to the continuous IC tag body 10.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the traction paper feed unit (second traction paper feed unit 64) is provided in the printer 4, and the negative pressure conveying units (first conveying unit 62, second conveying unit 63, and fourth conveying unit 67) are provided in the pre-processing unit 3 and post-processing unit 5, respectively. This configuration allows the continuous IC tag body 1 to be conveyed relative to the second traction paper feed unit 64 of the printer 4, while appropriate tension is applied to the continuous IC tag body 1 by the first conveying unit 62 and second conveying unit 63 of the pre-processing unit 3 on the upstream side and the fourth conveying unit 67 of the post-processing unit 5 on the downstream side. This prevents writing, printing, and reading defects caused by bending, skewing, or lifting of the continuous IC tag body 1.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the traction paper feed section (first traction paper feed section 61) is arranged upstream of the negative pressure conveying section (first conveying section 62) of the pre-processing device 3. After the first traction paper feed section 61 conveys the IC tag continuum 1 to the first conveying section 62, it stops driving before the IC tag continuum 1 reaches the second traction paper feed section 64. According to this structure, the set IC tag continuum 1 can be reliably conveyed to the first conveying section 62. In addition, since the first traction paper feed section 61 stops driving before the IC tag continuum 1 reaches the above-mentioned print processing traction paper feed section, it is not necessary to synchronize with the normal conveying operation based on the conveyance through the second traction paper feed section 64, which can simplify the control.

As mentioned above, although the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, the above-mentioned embodiments are merely examples and can of course be modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Description of Reference Numerals

1…IC tag continuum, 2…loading platform, 3…pre-processing device, 4…printing device, 5…post-processing device, 10…IC tag, 11…feed hole, 12…detection mark, 13…inlay, 13a…substrate, 14…antenna, 14a…loop antenna element, 14b…dipole antenna element, 14c…meander antenna element, 15…IC chip, 21…loading plate, 31…first antenna unit, 31a–31j…row antenna unit, 32…second antenna unit, 32a–32j…row antenna unit, 33…third antenna unit, 41…printing unit, 42…optical fixing unit, 43…filter unit, 51…fourth antenna unit, 52…embossing unit, 53…cutter component, 61…first traction paper feed unit, 61a…driving roller, 61b…driven roller, 61c…endless belt, 61d…first traction paper feed unit Paper feed drive motor, 61e...Conveyor pin, 62...First conveyor section, 62a...Drive roller, 62b...Driven roller, 62c...Conveyor belt, 62d...First conveyor belt drive motor, 62e...Support plate, 62f...Through hole, 63...Second conveyor section, 63a...Drive roller, 63b...Driven roller, 63c...Conveyor belt, 63d...Second conveyor belt drive motor, 63e...Support plate, 63f...Through hole, 64...Second traction paper feed section, 64a...Drive roller, 64b...Driven roller, 64c...Endless belt, 64d...Second traction paper feed drive motor, 64e...Conveyor pin, 65...Third conveyor section, 65a...Drive roller, 65b...Driven roller, 65c...Conveyor belt, 65d...Third conveyor belt drive motor, 65e...Support plate, 66...Discharge roller, 67...Fourth conveyor section, 67a...Drive roller Drive roller, 67b…Driven roller, 67c…Conveyor belt, 67d…Fourth conveyor belt drive motor, 67e…Support plate, 71…First negative pressure suction portion, 71a…First suction fan, 71b…Suction hole, 72…Second negative pressure suction portion, 72a…Second suction fan, 72b…Suction hole, 73…Third negative pressure suction portion, 73a…Third suction fan, 73b…Suction hole, 74…Fourth negative pressure suction portion, 74a…Fourth suction fan, 74b…Suction hole, 75…Fifth negative pressure suction portion, 75a…Fifth suction fan, 76…Sixth negative pressure suction portion, 76a…Sixth suction fan, 77…Seventh negative pressure suction portion, 77a…Seventh suction fan, 81…First sensor, 82…Second sensor, 83…Third sensor, 84…Fourth sensor, 85…Fifth sensor, 86… Sixth sensor, 87...seventh sensor, 91...first rotary encoder unit, 92...second rotary encoder unit, 93...page number reading unit, 101...conveyance control unit, 102...writing control unit, 103...printing control unit, 110...information storage unit, 111...product information storage unit, 112...page information storage unit, 113...reissue information storage unit, 121...tag ID reading unit, 122...first identification data writing unit, 123...second identification data writing unit, 124...identification data reading unit, 310...shielding plate, 311a to 311j...openings, 312...printed circuit board, 313...loop antenna element, 314...antenna terminal, 315...ferrite sheet, 316...antenna case, 316a...terminal opening, 317...screw, 318...non-adhesive coated plate.

Claims (6)

1. An IC tag issuing apparatus comprising: a preprocessing unit for writing identification data onto IC tags arranged as a continuous series of IC tags; a printing unit for printing print data onto the IC tags on which the identification data has been written; a post-processing unit for reading and verifying the identification data written onto the IC tags; and a conveying unit for conveying the continuous series of IC tags, characterized in that... The aforementioned conveying unit includes: a traction paper feeding section that engages with a conveying pin in a manner that allows the conveying pin to engage or disengage with a conveying hole formed in the IC tag continuous body to convey the IC tag continuous body; and a negative pressure conveying section that conveys the IC tag continuous body while attracting it on a conveyor belt. The aforementioned printing device prints the IC label by fixing the toner transferred to the IC label in a non-contact manner. The aforementioned IC tag contains an IC chip and an antenna. 2. The IC tag issuing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, IC tags arranged as a continuum are multi-column IC tags. 3. The IC tag issuing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The aforementioned paper feeding unit is provided in the aforementioned printing device. The aforementioned negative pressure conveying section is respectively installed in the aforementioned pretreatment device and the aforementioned posttreatment device. 4. The IC tag issuing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aforementioned traction paper feeding unit is located upstream of the aforementioned negative pressure conveying unit of the pre-processing device. After the aforementioned IC tag continuous body is conveyed to the aforementioned negative pressure conveying unit of the pre-processing device, the aforementioned traction paper feeding unit of the pre-processing device stops driving before the aforementioned IC tag continuous body reaches the aforementioned traction paper feeding unit of the printing device. 5. A method for issuing IC tags, characterized in that it includes: The process of conveying the IC tag continuum by engaging the conveyor pin with the conveyor hole formed in the IC tag continuum on which the tags are arranged in a manner that allows engagement or disengagement. The process of simultaneously drawing the aforementioned IC tag continuum onto a conveyor belt and conveying it under negative pressure; and The process of printing toner transferred to the aforementioned IC label in a non-contact manner, using photo-fixing. The aforementioned IC tag contains an IC chip and an antenna. 6. The IC tag issuance method according to claim 5, characterized in that it further comprises: The process of writing identification data into the aforementioned IC tag; and The process of reading and verifying the identification data that has been written to the IC tag.