RFID label with increased readability of printed images

• US 20070222615A1
• Filed: 03/19/2007
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Koshiro, Ito, Akira, Taki, Kazunari
• Granted Patent: US 7,782,211 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.800
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07718 the record carrier being manufactured in a continuous process, e.g. using endless rolls
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0776 the adhering arrangement being a layer of adhesive, so that the record carrier can function as a sticker
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1075 of plural laminae from single stock and assembling to each other or to additional lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1092 All laminae planar and face to face
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1097 Lamina is running length web

Abstract

A RFID label has a multilayer structure including a sheet-like antenna base material, a RFID circuit element embedded in the antenna base material, a cover film having a printing region in which prescribed printing is performed, an adhesive layer for that bonds the antenna base material to the cover film, an adhesive layer for fixing the antenna base materials to a desired object, and a release layer for covering the adhesive layer. The length of the antenna base material in the longitudinal direction of the RFID label is no less than the length of the printing region.

Claims

1. A RFID label comprising:

an antenna base material having a sheet-like shape with a tape side, the antenna base material having a RFID circuit element that includes an IC chip and an antenna;

a printable tape layer having a printing region in which a prescribed image is printed; and

a bonding adhesive layer that bonds the printable tape layer to the tape side of the antenna base material, wherein

a length of the antenna base material is equal to or greater than a length of the printing region with respect to a first direction.

2. The RFID label according to claim 1, wherein a width of the antenna base material is equal to or greater than a width of the printing region with respect to a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction.

3. The RFID label according to claim 1, wherein the antenna base material has a rectangular planar shape.

4. The RFID label according to claim 1, wherein the printing region is provided on a surface of the printable tape layer facing the bonding adhesive layer.

5. The RFID label according to claim 1, wherein the printing region is provided on a surface of the printable tape layer opposite a side of the printable tape layer facing the bonding adhesive layer.

6. The RFID label according to claim 1, further comprising:

an affixing adhesive layer that is disposed on a fixing side of the antenna base material opposite the tape side and that enables to fix the antenna base material to an object; and

a release layer that covers the affixing adhesive layer and that is peeled off when fixing the antenna base material to the object.

7. A RFID label that is formed by cutting a tag tape along a prescribed cutting plane along a first direction, the tag tape having a plurality of sheet-like antenna base materials arranged at prescribed intervals in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction, the RFID label comprising:

an antenna base material having a RFID circuit element that includes an IC chip and an antenna;

a printable tape layer having a printing region in which a prescribed image is printed; and

a bonding adhesive layer that bonds the antenna base material to the printable tape layer, wherein

a length of the antenna base material is equal to or greater than a length of the printing region with respect to the second direction.

8. The RFID label according to claim 7, wherein the prescribed cutting plane is other than a plane that passes through the antenna of the RFID circuit element.

9. The RFID label according to claim 7, wherein the prescribed cutting plane is other than a plane that passes through any of the sheet-like antenna base materials.

10. The RFID label according to claim 7, wherein the prescribed cutting plane passes through one of the plurality of sheet-like antenna base materials.

11. A tag tape roll comprising:

a shaft extending in a first direction; and

a tag tape wound about the shaft, the tag tape extending in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction and including;

a plurality of sheet-like antenna base materials arranged at prescribed intervals along the second direction, each antenna base material having a RFID circuit element that includes an IC chip and an antenna;

an affixing adhesive layer that is disposed on the antenna base materials and that enables to fix each of the antenna base materials to an object;

a release layer that covers the affixing adhesive layer and that is peeled off when fixing any of the antenna base materials to the object; and

a bonding adhesive layer that enables the antenna base materials to be bonded to a printable tape layer having a plurality of printing regions in correspondence with the RFID circuit elements, wherein an image is to be printed within each of the printing regions;

wherein a length of each antenna base material is equal to or grater than a length of a corresponding printing region with respect to the second direction.

12. The tag tape roll according to claim 11, wherein the tag tape further includes the printable tape layer.

13. A RFID circuit element cartridge that is detachably mountable on a tag label maker, the RFID circuit element cartridge comprising:

a tag tape roll that includes a roll of tag tape having;

a plurality of sheet-like antenna base materials arranged at prescribed intervals along a longitudinal direction of the tag tape, each antenna base material having a RFID circuit element that includes an IC chip and an antenna;

an affixing adhesive layer that is disposed on the antenna base materials and that enables to fix each of the antenna base materials to an object;

a release layer that covers the affixing adhesive layer and that is peeled off when fixing any of the antenna base materials to the object; and

a bonding adhesive layer that enables the antenna base materials to be bonded to a printable tape layer having a plurality of printing regions in correspondence with the RFID circuit elements, wherein an image is to be printed within each of the printing regions;

wherein a length of each antenna base material is equal to or grater than a length of a corresponding printing region with respect to the longitudinal direction of the tag tape.

14. The RFID circuit element cartridge according to claim 13, further comprising a printable tape roll that includes a roll of the printable tape layer.

15. The RFID circuit element cartridge according to claim 13, wherein the tag tape further has the printable tape layer that is bonded to the antenna base materials by the bonding adhesive layer.

16. A tag label maker comprising:

a conveying unit that conveys a tag tape in a predetermined direction, the tag tape including;

a plurality of sheet-like antenna base materials arranged at prescribed intervals along the predetermined direction, each antenna base material having a RFID circuit element that includes an IC chip and an antenna;

an affixing adhesive layer that is disposed on the antenna base materials and that enables to fix each of the antenna base materials to an object;

a release layer that covers the affixing adhesive layer and that is peeled off when fixing any of the antenna base materials to the object;

a printable tape layer; and

a bonding adhesive layer that bonds the antenna base materials to the printable tape layer;

a transmitting/receiving unit that exchanges data wirelessly with each of the RFID circuit elements;

a printing unit that prints an image corresponding to one of the RFID circuit element, within a printing region on the printable tape layer; and

a first control unit that controls the size of the printing region according to the layout of the antenna base materials.

17. The tag label maker according to claim 16, wherein the first control unit controls the size of the printing region by preventing the printing region from expanding beyond outer edges of a corresponding antenna base material in a plan view.

18. The tag label maker according to claim 16, further comprising:

a cutting unit that cuts the tag tape to a prescribed length, thereby producing an RFID label; and

a second control unit that controls the cutting unit to cut the tag tape along a prescribed cutting plane based on the layout of the antenna base materials.

19. The tag label maker according to claim 18, wherein the second control unit controls the cutting unit to cut the tag tape such that the RFID label has a length that is greater than a length of the RFID circuit element in the predetermined direction.

20. A RFID label comprising:

an antenna base material layer having a tape shape of substantially uniform thickness, the antenna base material layer having a tape-side surface;

a RFID circuit element having an IC chip and an antenna, the RFID circuit element being embedded in the tape-side surface of the antenna base material layer;

an affixing adhesive layer that is disponsed on the antenna base material layer and that enables to fix the antenna base material layer to an object;

a release layer that covers the affixing adhesive layer and that is peeled off when fixing the antenna base material layer to the object;

a printable tape layer on which an image is printed, the printable tape layer having an antenna-side surface; and

a bonding adhesive layer that bonds the antenna-side surface of the printable tape layer to the tape-side surface of the antenna base material layer.

21. The RFID label according to claim 20, wherein the image is printed on the antenna-side surface of the printable tape layer.

22. The RFID label according to claim 20, wherein the image is printed on another surface of the printable tape layer opposite to the antenna-side surface.

23. The RFID label according to claim 20, wherein a width of the antenna base material layer is greater than widths of the affixing adhesive layer and the bonding adhesive layer.

24. The RFID label according to claim 23, wherein a width of the printable tape layer is greater than the widths of the affixing adhesive layer and the bonding adhesive layer.

25. The RFID label according to claim 23, wherein a width of the release layer is greater than the widths of the affixing adhesive layer and the bonding adhesive layer.

26. The RFID label according to claim 20, wherein surfaces of the antenna and the IC chip are substantially in flush with the tape-side surface of the antenna base material layer.

27. The RFID label according to claim 26, wherein the antenna is formed in the antenna base material layer by etching.

28. A tag tape roll comprising:

a shaft extending in a first direction; and

a tag tape wound around the shaft, the tag tape having a length in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction, the tag tape including;

an antenna base material layer having a tape shape of substantially uniform thickness, the antenna base material layer has a first surface;

a plurality of RFID circuit elements embedded in the first surface of the antenna base material layer, each of the RFID circuit elements having an IC chip and an antenna;

an affixing adhesive layer that is disposed on the antenna base material layer and that enables to fix the antenna base material layer to an object; and

a release layer that covers the affixing adhesive layer and that is peeled off when fixing the antenna base material layer to the object.

29. The tag tape roll according to claim 28, wherein the tag tape further includes a bonding adhesive layer that enables to fix the first surface of the antenna base material layer to a printable tape layer onto which an image is to be printed.

30. The tag tape roll according to claim 28, wherein the tag tape further includes;

a printable tape layer having a second surface onto which an image is to be printed and a third surface opposite to the second surface; and

a bonding adhesive layer that bonds the third surface of the printable tape layer to the first surface of the antenna base material layer.

31. The tag tape roll according to claim 28, wherein the antenna base material layer has a fourth surface opposite to the first surface, and the fourth surface is provided with an identifier for positional detection.

32. A RFID circuit element cartridge detachably mountable on a tag label maker, the RFID circuit element cartridge comprising:

a tag tape roll including a roll of tag tape, the tag tape having;

an antenna base material layer having a tape shape of substantially uniform thickness and having a tape-side surface;

a plurality of RFID circuit elements embedded in the tape-side surface of the antenna base material layer, each RFID circuit element having an IC chip and an antenna;

an affixing adhesive layer that is disposed on the antenna base material layer and that enables to fix the antenna base material layer to an object; and

a release layer that covers the affixing adhesive layer and that is peeled off when fixing the antenna base material layer to the object.

33. The RFID circuit element cartridge according to claim 32, wherein the tag tape further has a bonding adhesive layer that is disposed on the antenna base material layer and that enables the antenna base material layer to be bonded to a printable tape layer onto which an image is to be printed.

34. The RFID circuit element cartridge according to claim 32, wherein the tag tape further has a printable tape layer having a first surface onto which an image is to be printed and a second surface opposite to the first surface;

and

a bonding adhesive layer that bonds the second surface of the printable tape layer to the antenna base material layer.