Method, system, and apparatus for detaching and collecting an ic tag from a paper sheet to which it is attached

Abstract

In order to efficiently detach and collect an IC tag ( 1 ) from a paper sheet ( 2 ) to which the IC tag ( 1 ) is attached, the IC tag ( 1 ) is detached from the paper sheet ( 2 ) by applying external force to the adhesive surface between the paper sheet ( 2 ) and the IC tag ( 1 ) (detachment step). Next, the detached IC tag ( 1 ) is fractionated from other substances (fractionation step).

1 . A method of detaching and collecting an IC tag from a paper sheet to which said IC tag is attached, comprising:
 a detachment step of detaching said IC tag from said paper sheet by applying external force to an adhesive surface between said paper sheet and said IC tag; and   a fractionation step of fractionating the detached IC tag from other substances.   
   
   
       2 . The method as set forth in  claim 1  wherein, in said detachment step, said paper sheet is immersed in an immersion liquid and external force is applied to said adhesive surface by a flow of said immersion liquid. 
   
   
       3 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a fragmentation step of immersing in an immersion liquid said paper sheet from which said IC tag was detached in said detachment step, and disintegrating or fragmenting said paper sheet into paper components by a flow of said immersion liquid and dispersing said paper components in said immersion liquid, said fragmentation step being followed by said fractionation step.   
   
   
       4 . The method as set forth in  claim 3  wherein, in said fractionation step, a suspension in which said paper components are dispersed by the flow of said immersion liquid is passed through a screen. 
   
   
       5 . The method as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein a pattern of said flow is changed. 
   
   
       6 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a cleaning step of cleaning said IC tag detached from said paper sheet to remove paper and/or an adhesive adhering to said IC tag.   
   
   
       7 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a preparation step of swelling said paper sheet by causing said paper sheet to hold a swelling liquid in which paper and/or an adhesive is soluble, said preparation step being followed by said detachment step.   
   
   
       8 . The method as set forth in  claim 6  wherein, in said preparation step and/or said cleaning step, said adhesive adhering to said IC tag is decomposed by an enzyme. 
   
   
       9 . The method as set forth in  claim 1  wherein, in said fractionation step, said IC tag is removed and collected from the suspension in which the paper components of said paper sheet are dispersed. 
   
   
       10 . The method as set forth in  claim 9  wherein said suspension is put in a container, said IC tag in said suspension is caused to sink to a bottom of said container, and by supplying a liquid flow containing small bubbles into said container, said bubbles are caused to adhere to said paper components to float them up to a liquid surface of said container. 
   
   
       11 . The method as set forth in  claim 2  wherein heat is applied to said immersion liquid and/or said swelling liquid. 
   
   
       12 . The method as set forth in  claim 1  wherein a plurality of the IC tags are successively processed as one bundle in each of said steps. 
   
   
       13 . The method as set forth in  claim 4  wherein, after collection of said IC tag in said fractionation step, a liquid is squeezed from said suspension and a residual substance of said suspension from which said liquid is squeezed is used as paper material. 
   
   
       14 . The method as set forth in  claim 13  wherein the same liquid is employed in each of said steps, and after collection of said IC tag in said fractionation step, a liquid is squeezed from said suspension and the squeezed liquid is reused in each of said steps.