JP4536397B2 - Product display shelf equipped with a product information reading device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a merchandise display shelf including a reading device for reading information of an RFID tag in which article information is recorded.

  In recent years, in order to manage the storage state of articles stored in furniture, an RFID tag in which article information is recorded is attached to each article, information on the RFID tag is read by a reading device, and each article is based on the read information. Various devices have been developed that manage the storage state of the storage.

  As an example of this, the article information recorded on the RFID tag of the article stored in the fixture can be read by a reading device arranged on the shelf plate of the fixture, and the article can be managed based on the read article information. There is such a fixture (see Patent Document 1).

JP 7-182357 A (paragraphs 0011-0022, FIG. 1-3)

  However, in the case where the article information is read out on the side of the fixture as in Document 1, for example, when a part of the fixture is made of an electromagnetic shielding material (EMS material) such as metal, the magnetic antenna of the reading device is used. Since the magnetic field is generated from the electromagnetic shielding material in the opposite direction to the direction of the generated electromagnetic field, the electromagnetic wave from the reading device is affected by the electromagnetic shielding material. The generation of the electromagnetic wave including the article information recorded on the RFID tag becomes difficult.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made paying attention to such problems, and an electromagnetic wave including article information of an RFID tag attached to an article is received by a reading device without being affected by the electromagnetic shielding material. The purpose is to provide a product display shelf.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a product display shelf provided with the article information reading device according to claim 1 of the present invention has a pair of right and left rear ends of brackets on left and right legs. A product display shelf that supports both sides of a shelf made of electromagnetic shielding material facing left and right on both brackets, and a back plate is provided between the two leg posts at the rear of the shelf. article information to be placed is a reading device for reading the information of the RFID tag of an article which the RFID tag is recorded is attached, the attached to the back plate before SL so as to separated at least a predetermined distance from the upper surface of the shelves It is characterized by that.
According to this feature, the RFID tag is received by the RFID tag without being affected by the electromagnetic shielding material by separating the reading device from the shelf plate made of the electromagnetic shielding material by a predetermined distance or more. The electromagnetic wave from the tag is received by the reading device without being affected by the electromagnetic shielding material.

A merchandise display shelf comprising the article information reading device according to claim 2 of the present invention is a merchandise display shelf comprising the article information reading device according to claim 1, wherein the shelf board is separated vertically. A plurality of sheets are provided, and the reading device is attached to the back plate so that the reading device is spaced from the lower surface of the shelf plate located above and the upper surface of the shelf plate located below by a predetermined distance or more. It is characterized by that.
According to this feature, since each shelf is made of an electromagnetic shielding material, the electromagnetic waves between the reading devices installed above and below are blocked by the shelf, preventing interference between the electromagnetic waves, and each reading Since the device is attached to the back plate at a predetermined distance from each shelf plate, which is an electromagnetic shielding material positioned above and below, reception of electromagnetic waves between the reading device and the RFID tag is not affected by the electromagnetic shielding material. The information of the RFID tag of the article can be read for each shelf board.

A merchandise display shelf comprising the article information reading device according to claim 3 of the present invention is a merchandise display shelf comprising the article information reading device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the reading device is connected to the back. It is provided on the back side of the face plate.
According to this feature, by providing the reading device on the back side of the back plate, the reading device is improved in appearance without being exposed on the front surface of the display shelf, and is protected by the back plate, thereby being affected by an external impact. It is possible to prevent problems such as repairs due to failure or deterioration, and it can be used for a long time.

A merchandise display shelf comprising the article information reading device according to claim 4 of the present invention is a merchandise display shelf comprising the article information reading device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The reading device is made of an electromagnetic shielding material, and is provided so as to be separated from the inner surfaces of both pedestals by a predetermined distance or more.
According to this feature, when the reading device is separated from the pedestal, which is an electromagnetic shielding material, by a predetermined distance or more, reception of electromagnetic waves between the reading device and the RFID tag can be prevented from being affected by the electromagnetic shielding material.

A merchandise display shelf comprising the article information reading device according to claim 5 of the present invention is a merchandise display shelf comprising the article information reading device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the shelf board includes: A side plate made of an electromagnetic shielding material is provided at the side end.
According to this feature, the side plate made of an electromagnetic shielding material can block electromagnetic waves from the reading device at both ends of the shelf plate, and the reading range of the RFID tag article information by the reading device can be limited. Therefore, for example, it is possible to prevent the interference of the electromagnetic waves with each other and the erroneous reception of the electromagnetic waves with the reading device installed on the commodity display shelf arranged next to it.

  Examples of the present invention will be described below.

  1 is a perspective view of a merchandise display shelf provided with an article information reading device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partially broken longitudinal sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional plan view taken along line BB in FIG. This product display shelf (hereinafter referred to as “product display shelf 1”) is installed in a product sales area such as a supermarket or a convenience store. (Hereinafter, the article 19) can be taken out.

  Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the commodity display shelf 1 is provided with a shelf plate made of electromagnetic shielding material (in this embodiment, metal steel material) on the floor surface. A mounting table 5 is provided, and a pair of leg posts 2 made of an electromagnetic shielding material extending in the vertical direction from the floor surface are provided at a rear side of the mounting table 5 with a predetermined distance therebetween on the left and right.

  A horizontal member 8 is sandwiched between the upper ends of both leg posts 2, and the left and right leg posts 2, the mounting table 5, and the horizontal member 8 constitute a frame. A back plate 6 made of a non-electromagnetic shielding material (hard plastic material in this embodiment) and a back cover (not shown) also made of a non-electromagnetic shielding material are fitted in front and rear between the pedestals 2 of the frame. Are attached together.

  A plurality of engagement holes 2 a are formed in the pedestal 2 in the vertical direction. Similarly, a plurality of engagement holes (not shown) are formed in the vertical direction on the back side of the pedestal 2, and a LAN cable described later is provided below the pedestal 2. A wiring hole 2b for wiring 21 to the outside is formed. A plurality of shelves 3 made of electromagnetic shielding materials are provided in a vertical direction at a predetermined height position of the back plate 6. The shelf board 3 is placed and locked on the upper end of a bracket 4 attached in advance to the engagement hole 2 a of the pedestal 2. Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, the front side of the product display shelf 1 is assumed to be the front, and the back side of the product display shelf 1 is assumed to be the rear.

  A plurality of articles 19 to which RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification, wireless identification) tags, which will be described later, are attached, are placed on the top surface of the shelf board 3. A plurality of RFID antennas 9 serving as readout devices, which will be described in detail later, are provided on the back surface of the back plate 6 so as to correspond to the respective shelf plates 3. Inside the mounting table 5, a relay device 16 having functions such as a concentrator and a tuner, and a power adapter 17 for supplying power to the RFID antenna 9 and the relay device 16 are provided.

  Each RFID antenna 9 is connected to a communication cable 18 including a signal cable (not shown) for transmitting and receiving various signals and a power supply cable (not shown) for supplying power, and the signal cable is a relay device. The power feeding cable is connected to the power adapter 17 and disposed in the commodity display shelf 1.

  The relay device 16 is connected via a LAN cable 21 to a management computer 20 that is connected to the LAN network and manages and operates the article management system. In the relay device 16, various types of data can be transmitted and received between the management computer 20 and the RFID antenna 9 by a tuner having a data conversion function.

  That is, by transmitting the item information data of the RFID tag of the item 19 to the management computer 20, the management computer 3 can centrally manage the item information of the item 19 placed on each of the plurality of shelves 3. It is like that.

  The RFID antenna 9 of the present embodiment and the RFID tag on which article information is recorded use a coil type antenna (not shown), and is generated by being induced between the RFID antenna 9 and the RFID tag coil. Communication is performed by electromagnetic induction using the magnetic flux.

  And, the reading frequency of the RFID antenna 9 of this embodiment uses the frequency of the electromagnetic induction short wave band (13.56 MHz), but the present invention is not limited to these electromagnetic induction methods and frequencies, For example, there are electromagnetic induction type long wave band (up to 135 kHz) and microwave type radio wave band (2.45 GHz) using microwave wave, etc., which are placed on product display shelves and shelf boards. In accordance with the shape, characteristics, and communication distance of the product to be used, an RFID antenna and an RFID tag having an optimum method and frequency suitable for a more ideal environment may be appropriately used.

  Next, the internal structure of the commodity display shelf 1 will be specifically described. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of downward hooked engagement pieces 4 a are formed at the rear end of the bracket 4, and are engaged and fixed to the engagement holes 2 a and attached to the pedestal 2. A plurality of locking grooves 4 b are formed at the upper end of the bracket 4, and locking pieces 3 a are formed downward on the bottom surface of the shelf board 3 so as to be opposed thereto, and the shelf board 3 is placed on the bracket 4. The locking piece 3a is locked in the locking groove 4b and the position is fixed. Similarly, brackets 4 are provided in multiple stages, and shelf plates 3 are placed on these brackets 4 and fixed in position.

  A plurality of RFID antennas 9 are provided on the back surface of the back plate 6 so as to be separated from the upper and lower shelf plates 3 by a predetermined distance (L1) or more (5 in this embodiment), and each of the RFID antennas 9 connected to each RFID antenna 9 is provided. The communication cables 18 are bundled together and wired downward, and are connected to the relay device 16 and the power adapter 17 through the cable holes 5a formed on the rear side of the shelf board of the mounting table 5, and from the relay device 16 to the LAN cable 21. Are wired and arranged outside via a wiring hole 2 b formed in the pedestal 2.

  From the rear of the pedestal 2, the back plate 6 made of a hard plastic material and the back cover 23 made of a hard plastic material having substantially the same shape are fitted and attached between the two pedestals 2, so that the communication cable 18 Wiring can be hidden from the outside.

  The mounting positions of the RFID antenna 9 provided on the back surface of the back plate 6 so as to correspond to each shelf plate 3 are a predetermined distance (L1) or more from the upper surface of the shelf plate 3 and downward from the lower surface of the shelf plate 3, respectively. Attached at a spaced position, the article information of the RFID tag 11 of the article 19 placed on the shelf board 3 can be read out.

  With respect to the distance (L1) between the RFID antenna 9 and the shelf plate 3 that is an electromagnetic shielding material, the electromagnetic wave from the RFID antenna is received by the RFID tag without being affected by the shelf plate 3, and the electromagnetic wave from the RFID tag is received from the shelf plate. It has been experimentally verified that at least the distance between the RFID antenna and the shelf 3 is preferably 40 mm or more so that the RFID antenna can receive the signal without being influenced by the antenna 3. Similarly, the attachment position of the RFID tag provided on the article is preferably separated from the shelf board 3 by 40 mm or more. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the interval (L1) between the RFID antenna 9 applied to the commodity display shelf 1 and the shelf board 3 is 50 mm.

  In this way, by attaching a plurality of RFID antennas 9 to the back surface of the back plate 6 of the product display shelf 1 at a predetermined interval (L1) in the vertical direction, the electromagnetic waves of the RFID antenna 9 and the RFID tag 11 serving as a reading device are mutually connected. The information of the RFID tag of the article can be surely read out for each shelf plate without being influenced by the shelf plate 3. Moreover, since each shelf board 3 is comprised with the electromagnetic shielding material, the information of the RFID tag 11 of an article | item is reliably ensured for every shelf board 3 without the electromagnetic waves of RFID antenna 9 located up and down interfering with each other. Can be read.

  Furthermore, since the RFID antenna 9 is provided on the back side of the back plate 6, the back plate 6 serves as a protection film for the RFID antenna 9 as an antenna protective film without exposing the RFID antenna 9 to the outside. Problems such as failure due to external impact such as placement and removal of the article 19 and repairs due to deterioration can be prevented, and the product 19 can be used for a long time.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the RFID antenna 9 is attached with a predetermined distance (L2) away from both the left and right leg posts 2 inward depending on a predetermined mounting position on the back surface of the back plate 6. A plurality of articles 19 are placed on the shelf 3, and RFID tags 11 are attached to the front side and the back side of the articles 19, respectively. The RFID tag 11 is provided so as to be parallel to the RFID antenna 9.

  Regarding the distance (L2) between the RFID antenna 9 and the pedestal 2 that is an electromagnetic shielding material, the RFID tag receives the electromagnetic wave from the RFID antenna without being affected by the pedestal 2, and the electromagnetic wave from the RFID tag is received by the pedestal. It has been experimentally verified that at least the distance between the RFID antenna and the pedestal 2 is preferably 40 mm or more in order to allow the RFID antenna to receive the signal without being affected by 2. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the distance (L2) between the RFID antenna 9 and the pedestal 2 is 50 mm.

  As described above, even when both the pedestals 2 are made of an electromagnetic shielding material, if the RFID antenna 9 is separated from the pedestal 2 by a predetermined distance (L2) or more, the RFID antenna 9 and the RFID tag 11 are mutually connected. Can be prevented from being affected by the electromagnetic shielding material.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, the RFID antenna 9 corresponding to the reading device is in a state of being separated from the shelf plate 3 and the pedestal 2 corresponding to the electromagnetic shielding material by a predetermined distance or more. The RFID tag 11 can receive the signal without being affected by the shelf 3 and the pedestal 2, and the RFID antenna 9 can receive the electromagnetic wave from the RFID tag 11 without being affected by the shelf 3 and the pedestal 2.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a commodity display shelf provided with the article information reading device according to the second embodiment. In the following second embodiment, the same structural parts as those of the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the commodity display shelf 1 ′ is provided with a plurality of shelves 3, and an RFID antenna 9 is provided on the back of the back plate 6 so as to correspond to each shelf 3. A plurality of articles 19 to which RFID tags (not shown) are attached are placed on the shelf 3.

  A side plate 14 is provided at a side end of the shelf plate 3 so as to constitute a side surface of the commodity display shelf 1 ′. The side plate 14 is made of an electromagnetic shielding material, and a plurality of engagement pieces 14a are formed in a downward-facing hook shape at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction of the rear end.

  The engaging piece 14a is formed so as to be engageable with the engaging hole 2a of the pedestal 2. The side plate can be easily engaged by engaging the engaging piece 14a with the engaging hole 2a from the front to the rear. 14 can be fixedly attached to the pedestal 2 and the electromagnetic wave of each RFID antenna 9 is prevented from leaking to the outside from both side ends of the shelf 3.

  As described above, in the second embodiment, the side plate 14 made of an electromagnetic shielding material can block electromagnetic waves from the RFID antenna 9 corresponding to the reading device at both ends of the shelf board 3. Since the reading range of the article information (not shown) can be limited, for example, the interference of the electromagnetic waves with the RFID antenna (reading device) installed on the adjacent product display shelf, Reception can be prevented beforehand.

  As described above, the first and second embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention may be modified or added without departing from the scope of the present invention. In the above embodiment, the RFID antenna 9 is preferably provided on the back side of the back plate 6 so that the RFID antenna 9 is protected by the back plate 6 without being exposed to the outside. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the RFID antenna 9 may be exposed to the front side by providing an antenna protective film on the surface of the RFID antenna 9, and the product display racks 1, 1 ' The installation state of the RFID antenna 9 may be determined according to the usage form.

  Moreover, in the said Example, although the RFID tag 11 is stuck and attached to the article | item 19, this invention is not limited to this, For example, the RFID tag 11 is embedded and attached in the article | item 19, or the article | item 19 is attached. The RFID tag may be inserted into the inside as it is, and an RFID tag may be appropriately attached by an attachment method utilizing the product characteristics of the article.

  In the above embodiment, the management computer 20 is provided outside (see FIG. 1), so that a plurality of other merchandise display shelves (not shown) can be managed centrally. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the management computer 20 may be built in the mounting table 5 in which the relay device 16 is accommodated, or the articles may be managed for each merchandise display shelf. good.

It is a perspective view of a goods display shelf provided with the reading apparatus of the article information in Example 1 of the present invention. It is a partially broken longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the AA line of FIG. It is a plane sectional view showing a BB line of FIG. It is a perspective view of a goods display shelf provided with the reading apparatus of the article information in Example 2 of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

1, 1 'product display shelf 2 pedestal (electromagnetic shielding material)
2a engagement hole 2b wiring hole 3 shelf board (electromagnetic shielding material)
3a Locking piece 4 Bracket 4a Engaging piece 4b Locking groove 5 Mounting base 5a Cable hole 6 Back plate 8 Horizontal member 9 RFID antenna (reading device)
11 RFID tag 14 Side plate (electromagnetic shielding material)
14a Engagement piece 16 Relay device (with concentrator and data conversion tuner)
17 Power adapter 18 Communication cable (including power supply cable and signal cable)
19 Article 20 Management computer 21 LAN cable 23 Back cover

Claims (5)

The left and right pedestal pillars each support the rear ends of a pair of left and right brackets facing in the front-rear direction, and on both the brackets, support both sides of a shelf plate made of electromagnetic shielding material facing in the left-right direction. In a product display shelf provided with a back plate between the both pedestals on the rear side, a reading device that reads information on the RFID tag of an article attached with an RFID tag on which the article information placed on the shelf is attached , commodity display shelf including a reader of the article information, characterized in that pre-Symbol attached to the back plate so as to separated at least a predetermined distance from the upper surface of the shelf plate.   A plurality of the shelf plates are separated from each other in the vertical direction, and the mounting position of the reading device is separated from the lower surface of the shelf plate located above and the upper surface of the shelf plate located below by a predetermined distance or more. A commodity display shelf comprising the article information reading device according to claim 1 attached to the back plate.   A merchandise display shelf comprising the article information readout apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the readout apparatus is provided on the back side of the back plate.   The article information reading device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein both the leg posts are made of an electromagnetic shielding material, and the reading device is provided so as to be separated from an inner surface of both leg posts by a predetermined distance or more. Product display shelf provided.   A merchandise display shelf comprising the article information reading device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a side plate made of an electromagnetic shielding material is provided at a side end of the shelf board.

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