Contactless communications antenna for payment terminals

• US 10,446,932 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2016
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Banks And Acquirers International Holding
• Original Assignee: Ingenico Group
• Inventors: Andre, Jerome, Hernandez, Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Graham P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Jae K
• Application Number:
  US15/184,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20160372829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/02 Collapsible antennas; Retractable antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/028 Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits H05K1/0283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/165 incorporating printed inductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/052 Branched
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/055 Folded back on itself
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/056 Folded around rigid support or component
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/058 Direct connection between two or more FPCs or between flexible parts of rigid PCBs
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09063 Holes or slots in insulating substrate not used for electrical connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09236 Parallel layout
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0979 Redundant conductors or connections, i.e. more than one current path between two points
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10098 Components for radio transmission, e.g. radio frequency identification [RFID] tag, printed or non-printed antennas

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a flexible printed circuit board of longitudinal shape comprising at least one conductive track extending over the length of the flexible printed circuit, the flexible printed circuit board comprising at least one folding area shaped so as to allow said flexible printed circuit board to pass from an unfolded state to a folded state in which the conductive track forms at least one antenna loop.

Claims

1. An elongate flexible printed circuit board comprising:

at least two conductive tracks extending over a length of the elongate flexible printed circuit, the at least two conductive tracks being substantially parallel to each other; and

at least one folding area shaped so as to allow said elongate flexible printed circuit board to pass from an unfolded state to a folded state,

in the unfolded state a first end of the elongate flexible printed circuit board is spaced from a second end of the elongate flexible printed circuit board,

in the folded state the first end of the elongate flexible printed circuit board overlays the second end of the elongate flexible printed circuit board such that the at least two conductive tracks form at least one antenna loop.

2. The elongate flexible printed circuit board of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second ends of the elongate flexible printed circuit board comprises means for connecting said at least two conductive tracks to each other in order to form the at least one antenna loop.

3. The elongate flexible printed circuit board of claim 1, further comprising a connection extension for connecting the at least one antenna loop to an appropriate connector.

4. The elongate flexible printed circuit board of claim 1, further comprising at least one orifice for affixing said elongate flexible printed circuit board to at least one antenna support.

5. The elongate flexible printed circuit board of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second ends of the elongate flexible printed circuit board comprises a connector for connecting said at least two conductive tracks to each other in order to form the at least one antenna loop.

6. A device comprising:

a transceiver; and

an antenna, the antenna comprising an elongate flexible printed circuit board, the elongate flexible printed circuit board comprising;

at least two conductive tracks extending over a length of the elongate flexible printed circuit, the at least two conductive tracks being substantially parallel to each other; and

at least one folding area shaped so as to allow said elongate flexible printed circuit board to pass from an unfolded state to a folded state,

in the unfolded state a first end of the elongate flexible printed circuit board is spaced from a second end of the elongate flexible printed circuit board,

in the folded state the first end of the elongate flexible printed circuit board overlays the second end of the elongate flexible printed circuit board such that the at least two conductive tracks form at least one antenna loop.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein at least one of the first and second ends of the elongate flexible printed circuit board comprises means for connecting said at least two conductive tracks to each other in order to form the at least one antenna loop.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the elongate flexible printed circuit board further comprises a connection extension for connecting the antenna to an appropriate connector.

9. The device of claim 6, further comprising at least one antenna support;

and

wherein the elongate flexible printed circuit board further comprises at least one orifice for affixing said elongate flexible printed circuit board to the at least one antenna support.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein at least one of the first and second ends of the elongate flexible printed circuit board comprises a connector for connecting said at least two conductive tracks to each other in order to form the at least one antenna loop.

11. The device of claim 6, further comprising at least one supporting part on which said antenna is positioned.