Manufacture of RFID tags and intermediate products therefor

• US 20050198811A1
• Filed: 03/08/2005
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AK Stamping Company Inc.
• Original Assignee: AK Stamping Company Inc.
• Inventors: Dunn, Wayne, Kurz, Arthur A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,250,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/601
• 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 19/0775 arrangements for connecting the integrated circuit to the antenna
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07779 the inductive antenna being a coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07783 the coil being planar
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• 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 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49018 with other electrical component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.

Abstract

An improvement in the manufacture of radio frequency identification tags employs an antenna stamped from a thin metallic sheet and affixed to a substrate at a first location to establish an intermediate product in which the stamped antenna is affixed to the substrate, and the intermediate product is placed at at least one subsequent location for further processing toward completion of a radio frequency identification tag.

Claims

1. In a method for manufacturing radio frequency identification tags having an electronic component connected electrically to an antenna, an improvement comprising the steps of:

stamping an antenna from a thin metallic sheet;

affixing the stamped antenna to a substrate at a first location to establish an intermediate product comprising the antenna affixed to the substrate; and

placing the intermediate product at at least one subsequent location for further processing toward completion of a radio frequency identification tag.

2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the stamped antenna is affixed to the substrate by adhering the antenna to the substrate with an adhesive.

3. The improvement of claim 2 wherein the adhesive is a pressure-sensitive adhesive and the step of affixing the antenna to the substrate includes applying an affixing pressure between the antenna and the substrate.

4. The improvement of claim 2 wherein the adhesive is a thermally-activated adhesive and the step of affixing the antenna to the substrate includes applying heat to activate the adhesive.

5. The improvement of claim 4 wherein the step of affixing the antenna to the substrate includes applying an affixing pressure between the antenna and the substrate.

6. The improvement of claim 4 including providing the antenna and the substrate with interengagable complementary elements for engagement to locate the antenna and the substrate relative to one another, and engaging the complementary elements prior to activating the adhesive.

7. The improvement of claim 6 wherein the complementary elements are provided by lancing.

8. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the antenna is affixed to the substrate by connecting the antenna to the substrate with a mechanical connection.

9. The improvement of claim 8 wherein the mechanical connection includes providing the antenna and the substrate with interengagable complementary elements for engagement to locate the antenna and the substrate relative to one another, and engaging the complementary elements to affix the antenna to the substrate.

10. The improvement of claim 9 including lancing the antenna and the substrate to establish the complementary elements.

11. The improvement of claim 9 wherein the complementary elements include tabs on the antenna and holes in the substrate, and the mechanical connection includes inserting the tabs into corresponding holes and subsequently crimping the tabs to secure the antenna in place on the substrate.

12. The improvement of claim 9 wherein the complementary elements include posts on the antenna and holes in the substrate, and the mechanical connection includes inserting the posts into corresponding holes and subsequently deforming the posts to secure the antenna in place on the substrate.

13. The improvement of claim 9 wherein the complementary elements include flaps in the substrate, and the mechanical connection includes overlapping the flaps with the antenna to secure the antenna in place on the substrate.

14. The improvement of claim 1 including electrically connecting the electronic component to the antenna prior to affixing the antenna to the substrate.

15. The improvement of claim 14 wherein the step of electrically connecting the electronic component to the antenna includes soldering connections between the electronic component and the antenna.

16. The improvement of claim 14 including registering the electronic component with a complementary recess in the substrate to minimize thickness in the intermediate product.

17. The improvement of claim 16 wherein the step of electrically connecting the electronic component to the antenna includes soldering connections between the electronic component and the antenna.

18. An intermediate product for the manufacture of radio frequency identification tags having an electronic component connected electrically to an antenna, the intermediate product comprising:

an antenna stamped from a thin metallic sheet; and

a substrate;

the stamped antenna being affixed to the substrate for being placed at a prescribed location for further processing toward completion of a radio frequency identification tag.

19. The intermediate product of claim 18 wherein the stamped antenna is affixed to the substrate with an adhesive.

20. The intermediate product of claim 19 wherein the adhesive is a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

21. The intermediate product of claim 19 wherein the adhesive is a thermally-activated adhesive.

22. The intermediate product of claim 21 wherein the antenna and the substrate include interengagable complementary elements for engagement to locate the antenna and the substrate relative to one another.

23. The intermediate product of claim 22 wherein the complementary elements comprise lanced elements.

24. The intermediate product of claim 18 wherein the antenna is affixed to the substrate with a mechanical connection.

25. The intermediate product of claim 24 wherein the mechanical connection includes interengagable complementary elements carried by the antenna and the substrate for engagement to locate the antenna and the substrate relative to one another.

26. The intermediate product of claim 25 wherein the complementary elements comprise lanced elements.

27. The intermediate product of claim 25 wherein the complementary elements include tabs on the antenna and holes in the substrate, and the mechanical connection includes the tabs inserted into corresponding holes and crimped to secure the antenna in place on the substrate.

28. The intermediate product of claim 25 wherein the complementary elements include posts on the antenna and holes in the substrate, and the mechanical connection includes the posts inserted into corresponding holes and deformed to secure the antenna in place on the substrate.

29. The intermediate product of claim 25 wherein the complementary elements include flaps in the substrate, and the mechanical connection includes the flaps overlapped with the antenna to secure the antenna in place on the substrate.

30. The intermediate product of claim 18 including an electronic component electrically connected to the antenna.

31. The intermediate product of claim 30 wherein the electronic component is electrically connected to the antenna by soldered connections between the electronic component and the antenna.

32. The intermediate product of claim 30 including a recess in the substrate, the recess being complementary to the electronic component and the electronic component being placed within the recess to minimize thickness in the intermediate product.

33. The intermediate product of claim 32 wherein the electronic component is electrically connected to the antenna by soldered connections between the electronic component and the antenna.