Reinforcing Bar Binding Machine and Wire Reel

Abstract

An antenna of an RF tag reader and a photo sensor for detecting a rotational position of a wire reel are provided in a wire reel receiving portion of a reinforcing bar binding machine. The photo sensor detects a mark on the wire reel, and when an RF tag mounted on a side surface of the wire reel is brought into opposed relation to the antenna of the RF tag reader, a control portion decelerates or stops the wire reel, and an RF tag recognition operation by the RF tag reader is executed, thereby identifying a wire kind. When the RF tag is opposed to the antenna of the RF tag reader, the wire reel is decelerated or stopped, and in this condition the transmitting and receiving operations are executed, and therefore the stable communication can be executed.

1 . A reinforcing bar binding machine including a wire feed mechanism, a wire twisting mechanism, and a wire cutting mechanism for feeding a wire wound on a wire reel in a loop-shape so as to wind the wire around reinforcing bars, twisting a wire loop so as to tighten the reinforcing bars, cutting off the wire loop from the wire extending from a trailing end of the wire loop, and binding the reinforcing bars, the reinforcing bar binding machine comprising: 
 means for reading wire identification information provided on the wire reel;    control means for controlling a wire feed amount and a wire twisting torque based on the read wire identification information;    an RF tag reader provided on a body of the reinforcing bar binding machine;    an RF tag mounted on the wire reel; and    control means for identifying a kind of the wire from a radio wave fed from the RF tag in response to a transmitting wave from the RF tag reader and for controlling the wire feed amount, the wire twisting torque.    
   
   
       2 . The reinforcing bar binding machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the RF tag is provided on a side surface of the wire reel; and 
 the RF tag reader includes an antenna disposed on a position opposed to an RF tag affixing surface of the wire reel loaded in the reinforcing bar binding machine.    
   
   
       3 . The reinforcing bar binding machine according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 position detection means for detecting a rotational position of the wire reel; and    transmit-receive timing control means for executing an RF tag recognition operation when the RF tag on the side surface of the wire reel is generally positioned in a position opposed to the antenna of the RF tag reader.    
   
   
       4 . The reinforcing bar binding machine according to  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 means for reducing a rotational speed of the wire reel when the RF tag on the side surface of the wire reel is generally positioned in the position opposed to the antenna of the RF tag reader.    
   
   
       5 . The reinforcing bar binding machine according to  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 means for stopping the RF tag on the side surface of the wire reel within a transmit-receive range of the RF tag reader.    
   
   
       6 . The reinforcing bar binding machine according to  claim 5 , wherein the means for stopping the RF tag on the side surface of the wire reel within the transmit-receive range of the RF tag reader comprises 
 a recess portion provided on the wire reel, and    a braking member provided on the reinforcing bar binding machine and being brought into and out of engagement with the recess portion.    
   
   
       7 . The reinforcing bar binding machine according to  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 means for stopping the wire reel when the RF tag on the side surface of the wire reel is generally positioned in the position opposed to the antenna of the RF tag reader.    
   
   
       8 . The reinforcing bar binding machine according to  claim 7 , wherein the means for stopping the wire reel comprises 
 a recess portion provided on the wire reel, and    a braking member provided on the reinforcing bar binding machine and being brought into and out of engagement with the recess portion.    
   
   
       9 . The reinforcing bar binding machine according to  claim 1 , wherein a RF tag recognition step by the RF tag reader is executed as part of an initialization operation executed when a power of the reinforcing bar binding machine is turned on, the initialization operation including the wire feed operation.  
   
   
       10 . A wire reel for being loaded in a reinforcing bar binding machine for feeding a wound wire in a loop-shape so as to wind the wire around reinforcing bars, twisting a wire loop so as to tighten the reinforcing bars, cutting off the wire loop from the wire extending from a trailing end of the wire loop, and binding the reinforcing bars, the wire reel comprising: 
 an RF tag that is responsive to a transmitting wave from an RF tag reader provided on the reinforcing bar binding machine and feeds a signal for identifying a kind of the wire.    
   
   
       11 . A reinforcing bar binding machine comprising: 
 a wire reel receiving portion;    an RF tag reader; and    a loop antenna connected to the RF tag reader and disposed within the wire reel receiving portion.    
   
   
       12 . The reinforcing bar binding machine according to  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 a reflection photo sensor disposed within the wire reel receiving portion and including a light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion.    
   
   
       13 . The reinforcing bar binding machine according to  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 a reel support boss provided within the wire reel receiving portion;    wherein the loop antenna and the reflection photo sensor are angularly spaced substantially  90  degrees from each other around a center of the reel support boss.    
   
   
       14 . The reinforcing bar binding machine according to  claim 11 , further including: 
 a round hole formed in a wall of the wire reel receiving portion; and    a solenoid provided on a reverse surface of the wire reel receiving portion;    wherein a plunger of the solenoid can project through the round hole beyond a front surface of the wire reel receiving portion.    
   
   
       15 . The reinforcing bar binding machine according to  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 a reel support boss provided within the wire reel receiving portion;    wherein the loop antenna and the round hole are angularly spaced substantially  90  degrees from each other around a center of the reel support boss.    
   
   
       16 . A control circuit for a reinforcing bar binding machine comprising: 
 an RF tag reader;    a trigger switch;    a wire feed motor drive circuit;    a wire twisting motor drive circuit; and    a control portion.    
   
   
       17 . The control circuit according to  claim 16 , when a trigger signal from the trigger switch is inputted to the control circuit, the control circuit controls the wire feed motor drive circuit and the wire twisting motor drive circuit based on wire identification data read by the RF tag reader and drives a wire feed motor and a wire twisting motor.  
   
   
       18 . A wire reel comprising: 
 a cylindrical tubular hub;    a reel flange; and    an RF tag mounted on the reel flange.    
   
   
       19 . The wire reel according to  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 an RF tag mounting seat formed at an outer surface of the reel flange;    wherein the RF tag is bonded to the RF tag mounting seat.    
   
   
       20 . The wire reel according to  claim 18 , wherein wire identification data is stored in the RF tag.  
   
   
       21 . The wire reel according to  claim 20 , wherein manufacturer's data and a manufacturing lot number are further stored in the RF tag.  
   
   
       22 . The wire reel according to  claim 20 , wherein an amount of the remaining wire and a use-starting date of the wire can be written in the RF tag.  
   
   
       23 . The wire reel according to  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 a reflection mark.    
   
   
       24 . The wire reel according to  claim 23 , wherein the RF tag and the reflection mark are angularly spaced substantially  90  degrees from each other around an axis of rotation of the wire reel.  
   
   
       25 . The wire reel according to  claim 18 , further comprising a round hole formed in the reel flange.  
   
   
       26 . The wire reel according to  claim 25 , wherein the RF tag and the round hole in the reel flange are angularly spaced substantially  90  degrees from each other around an axis of rotation of the wire reel.  
   
   
       27 . A wire wound around the wire reel as defined in  claim 18 .  
   
   
       28 . A method of binding reinforcing bars by a reinforcing bar binding machine, comprising the steps of: 
 feeding a wire until a distal end of the wire reaches a wire guide nose;    driving an RF tag reader;    identifying a kind of the wire from a frequency reflected from an RF tag mounted on a wire reel; and    setting a twisting torque and a feed amount based on the kind of the wire.    
   
   
       29 . The method of binding reinforcing bars by a reinforcing bar binding machine according to  claim 28 , further comprising the steps of: 
 detecting a reflection mark on the wire reel; and    driving the RF tag reader when the reflection mark is detected.    
   
   
       30 . The method of binding reinforcing bars by a reinforcing bar binding machine according to  claim 29 , further comprising the step of: 
 reducing a speed of feeding of the wire when the reflection mark is detected.    
   
   
       31 . The method of binding reinforcing bars by a reinforcing bar binding machine according to  claim 29 , further comprising the step of: 
 stopping the feeding of the wire when the reflection mark is detected.    
   
   
       32 . The method of binding reinforcing bars by a reinforcing bar binding machine according to  claim 28 , further comprising the steps of: 
 driving a plunger in a forward direction; and    driving the RF tag reader when the plunger is fitted into a round hole in the wire reel.    
   
   
       33 . The method of binding reinforcing bars by a reinforcing bar binding machine according to  claim 32 , further comprising the step of: 
 stopping the feeding of the wire when the plunger is fitted into the round hole in the wire reel.    
   
   
       34 . A method of identifying a kind of a wire in a reinforcing bar binding machine, comprising the steps of: 
 transmitting a radio wave by a transmitting portion of an RF tag reader provided on the reinforcing bar binding machine while gradually varying a frequency of the radio wave;    inducing electric power by a resonance circuit of an RF tag when the frequency of the transmitted wave corresponds to a resonance frequency of the RF tag mounted on a wire reel;    sending a radio wave by the RF tag;    receiving the wave from the RF tag by a receiving portion of the RF tag reader;    recognizing the resonance frequency of the RF tag by a transmit-receive control portion of the RF tag reader; and    identifying the kind of the wire from the resonance frequency of the RF tag.    
   
   
       35 . The method of identifying a kind of a wire in a reinforcing bar binding machine according to  claim 34 , when the RF tag makes no response to the wave transmitted from the transmitting portion of the RF tag reader, it is judged that the wire and the wire reel are not genuine products.