JP2004202894A - RFID label making machine - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for producing a required number of RFID labels when needed, applicable to various printing methods from a single RFID inlet and label paper, and sticking the RFID inlet to label paper with high positional accuracy The present invention provides an RFID label producing machine capable of performing the above.
A surface (10a) of the delayed tack paper (10), which is a glue application surface, is heated by a heater (12) to give adhesiveness to a range (B). When the delayed tack paper is fed in the direction of arrow C, the single RFID inlet 20 comes into contact with the range B, and is then sandwiched between the rollers 14, and the RFID inlet 20 is attached to the delayed tack paper 10.
[Selection] Fig. 2

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for creating an RFID label having an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) function of transmitting and receiving data without contact.
[0002]
[Prior art]
FIG. 5 shows a general form in which an RFID label is supplied. An adhesive label 71 is attached to the mount 70 in a state where the adhesive label 71 is die-cut at a predetermined size. A module called an RFID inlet is included in the adhesive label 71. The RFID inlet 72 is a module in which an IC chip and a transmitting / receiving antenna are covered with a resin or the like, and may be called an RFID tag, an RFID data carrier, a non-contact IC module, or the like, but is referred to as an RFID inlet in this specification. Unify by name.
[0003]
Such a general RFID label is stored and distributed in a roll state with a backing paper like a general die-cut label. A method for manufacturing such an RFID label with a mount is disclosed in Patent Document 1 and the like.
[0004]
In the above-described RFID label, since the RFID inlet is already included in the supplied roll state, if all the labels cannot be used up, expensive roll paper must be discarded, which is wasteful. In addition, the shape and size of the label were fixed and could not be changed by the user in a timely manner.
[0005]
Therefore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-163873 discloses a technology for creating an RFID label of an arbitrary size on demand using a linerless label without a mount. The liner-less label is subjected to a non-adhesive treatment for uniformly coating the release surface on the printing surface side, thereby preventing the printing surface side and the adhesive surface side from sticking to each other even in a roll state to prevent peeling. The most commonly used method is a silicone coating. Since silicone repels water, it is unsuitable for printing using water-based ink, and the printing method after silicone coating is generally limited to a heat-sensitive method or a thermal transfer method.
[0006]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-72886 [Patent Document 2]
JP-A-2002-53116
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, in a conventional RFID label producing machine capable of producing labels on demand, since a linerless label is used, a printing method is limited, and especially, printing by an ink jet method cannot be performed. In addition, when the linerless label is pulled out from the roll, the entire surface on the sticking side is exposed with adhesive, so it is easy to stick along the paper path, and paper feeding troubles such as paper jam, skew, and meandering are likely to occur . Furthermore, since the entire surface of the attachment surface has adhesiveness, when the RFID inlet is attached to a predetermined position, if the positioning accuracy is poor, there is a risk that the RFID inlet may be attached even at an incorrect position.
[0008]
Therefore, the present invention is intended to solve such a conventional problem. The purpose of the present invention is to enable on-demand printing by various methods including ink jet, to stabilize paper feed quality, and to use an RFID inlet. An object of the present invention is to provide an RFID label producing machine which can be easily attached to a predetermined position of a label.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides:
(1) Conveying means for conveying the delayed tack paper, a placement section on which the RFID inlet is placed, a heating means for heating a predetermined position on the adhesive coating surface of the delayed tack paper, and a predetermined means for heating the RFID inlet. And a contact means for contacting the position.
[0010]
In the above configuration, the RFID inlet is brought into contact with the traveling delayed tack paper, and when the heated portion of the delayed tack paper comes into contact with the RFID inlet, the RFID inlet is attached to the delayed tack paper.
(2) Conveying means for conveying the delayed tack paper, temporary arranging means for temporarily arranging the RFID inlet at a predetermined position on the adhesive coating surface of the delayed tack paper, and delay tack after the RFID inlet is temporarily arranged at the predetermined position. And heating means for heating the paper.
[0011]
In the above configuration, the RFID inlet can be temporarily arranged on the delayed tack paper in a state of no adhesiveness, and after positioning, the RFID inlet can be attached to the delayed tack paper by heating.
(3) It is characterized by having a read / write device capable of reading and writing data in the RFID inlet, and a printing means for printing data contents on delayed tack paper.
[0012]
With the above configuration, data recording on the RFID inlet and printing on the label can be performed in a series of steps. Further, since delayed tack paper to be printed does not require a release process, it can be applied to various printing methods such as an ink jet method.
(4) The delayed tack paper is transparent or translucent, and the printing means prints the print data as mirror letters from the side of the adhesive applied surface of the delayed tack paper.
[0013]
With the above configuration, when the RFID label is attached, the printed data becomes normal characters, and the printed portion is protected by the delayed tack paper.
(5) Delayed tack paper is roll-shaped continuous paper, and is characterized in that it has a cutting means for cutting to an arbitrary length.
[0014]
With the above configuration, the label length can be set arbitrarily when the RFID label is created.
[0015]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.
[0016]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view for explaining the outline of the configuration of the RFID inlet attaching step of the first example of the RFID label producing machine according to the present invention. The paper to be used is a delayed tack paper 10 wound in a roll shape, and a delayed tack adhesive is applied to the entire surface 10a. The delayed tack adhesive is obtained by mixing a solid plasticizer and a tackifier into a thermoplastic resin, and is applied to paper or film and dried. Thereafter, the plasticizer is melted by heating to an adhesion activation temperature of around 100 ° C., and the stickiness is generated. Therefore, there is no tackiness at room temperature before heating, and there is no need to provide a release paper on the glue application surface.
[0017]
The delayed tack paper 10 is fed in the direction of arrow A over the rollers 11a, 11b, 11c by a paper feed mechanism. The paper feeding system may be a general friction system in which the paper is sandwiched and fed by a rubber roller or the like. The paper feed mechanism itself is not a feature of the present invention, and is not shown in the drawings.
[0018]
The heater 12 is arranged at a position facing the roller 11a with the delayed tack paper 10 interposed therebetween. The heater 12 includes therein a halogen lamp as a heat source and a reflecting mirror designed to irradiate a fixed area of the surface 10a of the delayed tack paper 10 which is a glue application surface. It is set to the tack activation temperature of the tack. When the predetermined position of the delayed tack paper 10 reaches the roller 11a by the paper feeding, the paper feeding is temporarily stopped and the halogen lamp of the heater 12 is turned on. Then, the range B is heated, and only that portion becomes tacky. Then, after turning on the halogen lamp of the heater 12 for a period of time when the adhesive strength becomes sufficient, the halogen lamp is turned off, and the paper feeding is restarted.
[0019]
A mounting portion 13 on which a number of RFID inlets 20 are stacked is disposed at a position facing the roller 11b with the delayed tack paper 10 interposed therebetween. The lowermost RFID inlet 20 is in contact with the delayed tack paper 10. When the range B of the delayed tack paper 10 reaches the mounting portion 13 by the paper feeding, the range B is an adhesive surface, and the RFID inlet 20 is attached to the delayed tack paper 10 here. Here, the range B is set to a size equivalent to the size of the RFID inlet. Therefore, when the lowermost one of the stacked RFID inlets 20 is pasted, the next RFID inlet 20 comes into contact with the delayed tack paper 10 on the non-adhesive surface until the next range B is reached. It is held by the mounting unit 13. Therefore, when passing through the roller 11c, the sheet is sent in the direction of arrow A with one RFID inlet 20a attached.
[0020]
If the placement position of the RFID inlet 20 and the position where the delayed tack paper 10 travels deviate by about 2 to 3 mm due to the paper feeding accuracy, the area of the range B is set to the size of the RFID inlet 20 by the deviation. Set smaller inward. With this configuration, the adhesive portion does not protrude into the delayed tack paper 10 around the RFID inlet 20a.
[0021]
After the inlet 20a is attached to the delayed tack paper 10, the front and rear sides of the RFID inlet 20a are cut by a predetermined length by an auto cutter (not shown) to obtain one RFID label. When the RFID label is attached to the article, the entire RFID label is heated again, and the surface 10a around the RFID inlet 20a becomes tacky.
[0022]
As described above, in the RFID label producing machine of the present invention, by using the delayed tack technology, only the position where the RFID inlet is to be attached can be first used as the adhesive surface. Even if the paper is fed in contact with the RFID 10, the RFID inlet will not be stuck at an incorrect position. This eliminates the need for a complicated mechanism for attaching RFID inlets one by one in accordance with a predetermined position to which the RFID inlet is to be attached, unlike the on-demand issuing apparatus using a conventional linerless label. In addition, when a linerless label is used, the entire surface of the application surface is sticky before the RFID inlet is applied, so it is easy to adhere along the paper path, and paper feeding problems such as paper jam, skew, and meandering occur. However, in the delayed tack paper presented in the present invention, it is possible to give the adhesive only to the portion where the RFID inlet is pasted immediately before pasting, so that trouble in paper feeding can be prevented.
[0023]
In the example shown in FIG. 1, an example is shown in which the RFID inlet 20 is stacked with the adhesive-coated side of the delayed tack paper 10 facing upward, and the roller 11 b is attached from above using the own weight of the RFID inlet as a receiving portion. However, it is also possible to attach the RFID inlet from below. An example of a label producing machine in this case will be described with reference to FIG.
[0024]
FIG. 2 is a second example of the RFID label producing machine according to the present invention, and is a side view for explaining the outline of the configuration of the RFID inlet attaching step. An RFID inlet 20 to be attached to the delayed tack paper 10 and a heater 12 for heating the delayed tack paper 10 are the same as those in the first example shown in FIG. The delayed tack paper 10 is fed in the direction of arrow C by a paper feed mechanism (not shown). At this time, the paused paper 10 is temporarily stopped and the area B becomes an adhesive surface by the heater 12.
[0025]
The plurality of RFID inlets 20 are loaded on the holder 15 and urged upward by a spring 16, and a part of the uppermost RFID inlet 20 is in contact with the delayed tack paper 10. A roller 14 is disposed at a position facing the RFID inlet 20 with the delayed tack paper 10 interposed therebetween.
[0026]
When the range B of the delayed tack paper 10 reaches a position where it contacts the RFID inlet 20 by paper feeding, the RFID inlet 20 starts to stick to the delayed tack paper 10 from there. The guide portion 15a which is a part of the holder 15 is movable, and when the RFID inlet 20 is securely attached to the delayed tack paper 10, the attached RFID inlet 20 passes over the guide portion 15a, It is sent in the direction of arrow C. One RFID inlet attached to the range B is indicated by 20a as in FIG.
[0027]
In the second example shown in FIG. 2, the spring 16 is used to bring the RFID inlet 20 into close contact with the delayed tack paper 10, but it is not necessary to control the RFID inlet 20 to come into close contact with the delayed tack or to separate it. It is only necessary to simply press with a required load, so that the mechanism can be realized with a simple structure.
[0028]
1 and 2, a halogen lamp is used as a heater. Although the lighting time of the halogen lamp depends on the specification of the halogen lamp to be used, in the case of a highly efficient near-infrared lamp, usually, within 1 or 2 seconds is sufficient. Therefore, when the paper feeding speed is low, if the irradiation area is set small and the lighting time is set so as to be within the range B, the necessary adhesive surface can be obtained without stopping for heating. .
[0029]
However, the method of the heater is not limited to the halogen lamp, and a far-infrared ceramic heater or a hot air heater may be used in the non-contact type. If a non-adhesive treatment is applied to the heating unit, a method of directly contacting a sheathed heater or a heating resistor heater may be used.
[0030]
In the example described above, first, a predetermined position of the delayed tack paper to which the RFID inlet is to be attached is heated, and the RFID inlet is attached after the tackiness is generated. The purpose of the present invention is to facilitate the attachment of an RFID inlet by using a delayed tack technology in the preparation of an RFID label. It is also possible. This example will be described next.
[0031]
FIG. 3 shows a third example of the RFID label producing machine according to the present invention, and is a perspective view for explaining the outline of the configuration of the RFID inlet attaching step. In this example, a description will be given using a single-sheet delayed tack paper 30 cut in advance to a predetermined size. The base material of the delayed tack paper 30 uses a transparent or translucent material. For example, a transparent sheet of polyester is used. A delayed tack adhesive is applied to one surface 30a of this material. The delayed tack adhesive used here is a material that becomes colorless and transparent after application.
[0032]
The delayed tack paper 30 is fed by the label transport mechanism 31 in the direction of arrow E in a substantially horizontal direction with the front surface 30a facing upward. During the conveyance, the RFID inlet 20 is placed at a predetermined position D of the delayed tack paper 30. In this state, the surface 30a of the delayed tack paper 30 has no tackiness, and the RFID inlet 20 is not bonded to the delayed tack paper 30. Predetermined data is transmitted from the data read / write device 32 to the RFID inlet 20, and the data is recorded on an IC chip built in the RDIF inlet 20.
[0033]
A part of the recorded data content is printed on the delayed tack paper 30 by the print head 33. At this time, printing is performed on the surface 30a side, which is the glue-applied surface. However, since the surface to be printed has no tackiness because it is not heated, various types such as a thermal transfer method and an impact dot method other than the ink jet method are used. A contact printing method can also be selected. The characters to be printed are mirrored so that the characters are normal when viewed from the opposite side of the front surface 30a.
[0034]
The delayed tack paper 30 on which the RFID inlet 20 is placed and on which printing is performed is heated by the heater 34. The heat from the heater 34 passes through the flakes of the RFID inlet 20 and also heats the glue-applied surface under the RFID inlet 20, causing stickiness. Thereby, the RFID inlet 20 can be attached to the delayed tack paper 30.
[0035]
In the example shown in FIG. 3, since the delayed tack paper 30 is fed in a substantially horizontal direction, it is configured such that the positioning before the RFID inlet 20 is attached can be performed only by placing the RFID inlet 20 from above. However, the feed direction of the delayed tack paper is not necessarily limited to the horizontal direction. If means for holding the RFID inlets 20 one by one and closely contacting a predetermined position, for example, a pressing roller or a pressing belt, is used. It may be sent in a direction other than horizontal. Regardless of the feed, the delayed tack paper has no tackiness before heating, so that the RFID inlet can be easily aligned before heating.
[0036]
FIG. 4 shows a state in which the RFID label 40 thus created is attached to the target object 50. The data printed in mirror letters can be seen from the back side of the printed side, and becomes normal characters. Since the print is protected by the transparent sheet substrate, falsification and discoloration of characters can be prevented.
[0037]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, in the RFID label making machine of the present invention, since delayed tack paper is used as the label paper, it is possible to give the adhesive only to the pasting surface just before the RFID inlet is pasted, so Problems such as sticking of the adhesive surface on the paper path at the time, skew, and meandering can be prevented. At the same time, the positioning of the RFID inlet and the attaching operation are facilitated.
[0038]
In addition, by using the delayed tack paper, the RFID inlet can be temporarily arranged at a predetermined position on the delayed tack paper in a non-adhesive state, and thereafter, the RFID inlet can be firmly attached by heating. Even if this method is adopted, the positioning and attaching work of the RFID inlet becomes easy.
[0039]
Since it is not necessary to perform release processing on the delayed tack paper, various printing methods such as an ink jet method can be applied.
[0040]
Further, by using a transparent or translucent delayed-tack paper and printing it with mirror letters on the glue-applied surface side, the printed characters are protected by the delayed-tack paper and falsification and discoloration can be prevented.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a mechanism according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view showing a mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a mechanism according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state where a label created in a third embodiment according to the present invention is attached to an object.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a supply roll paper for a conventional RFID label.
[Explanation of symbols]
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 delayed tack paper 12 heater 13 receiver 14 roller 15 holder 20 RFID inlet 30 delayed tack paper 31 label transport mechanism 32 data read / write device 33 print head 34 heater

Claims (5)

Conveying means for conveying the delayed tack paper, a mounting portion on which the RFID inlet is mounted, a heating means for heating a predetermined position on the adhesive coating surface of the delayed tack paper, and the predetermined means for heating the RFID inlet An RFID label producing machine, comprising: contact means for contacting a position. Conveying means for conveying the delayed tack paper, temporary arranging means for temporarily arranging the RFID inlet at a predetermined position on the adhesive-coated surface of the delayed tack paper, and the delay An RFID label producing machine, comprising: heating means for heating tack paper. The RFID label according to claim 1, further comprising: a read / write device that can read and write data in the RFID inlet; and a printing unit that prints the data content on the delayed tack paper. 4. Making machine. 4. The RFID label maker according to claim 3, wherein the delayed tack paper is transparent or translucent, and the printing unit prints the print data as mirror letters from the side of the delayed tack paper where the glue is applied. The RFID label producing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the delayed tack paper is a continuous paper in a roll form, and has cutting means for cutting into an arbitrary length.

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