Pet identification tag with internal cavity for transponder capsule

• US 20060087440A1
• Filed: 06/22/2005
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elliot S. Klein
• Original Assignee: Elliot S. Klein
• Inventors: Klein, Elliot S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,230,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.300
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/00 Marking of animals marking poultry or other birds A01K35/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/006 Automatic identification systems for animals, e.g. electronic devices, transponders for animals identification systems for access to feeding pens A01K1/0209; ear tags with electronic identification means A01K11/004
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/02 by a carrier person or animal
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/14 by strings, straps, chains, or wires

Abstract

A pet identification tag with associated cavity holder for insertion of a miniaturized Radio-frequency identification (“RFID”) transponder capsule. The tag has an embedded cavity and mechanism to insert or remove an optional RFID transponder capsule. The tag with transponder capsule can then be attached to a pet'"'"'s collar to wireless ID the pet without need to medically inject a RFID transponder capsule into a pet'"'"'s body by surgical means.

Claims

1. In combination:

a circular or asymmetrically shaped detachable animal tag;

said tag including;

a hollow cavity to insert or remove a Radio Frequency Identification (“

RFID”

) device enclosed within a capsule, a closure device to seal the RFID device within the hollow cavity, a front and back side that will readily accept printed identification data, and a hole to insert a connector that can affix said tag to the animal'"'"'s collar or leach.

2. The tag and case of claim 1 wherein said case has an aperture therein to permit passage of a small capsule shaped RFID transponder device that is typically 1.2-2 mm wide and 13.3 mm long.

3. The tag and case of claim 1 wherein said case has an aperture therein to permit passage of a small disc shaped capsule RFID transponder device that is typically 22 mm wide and 1.2 mm high.

4. The combination of claim 1 where a circular or asymmetrical shaped animal tag and case, comprising:

a tag for use with both visual and/or electronic pet microchip identification mechanisms, said tag having a front surface and a back surface, each of said surfaces defining a surface area on oppositely oriented front and back faces of said tag, said tag having a front and upper tag end with at least one slightly extended protrusion formed of a first side radius, said tag also having a back side with at least one extended protrusion formed of a second tag radius, both intended to provide additional spacing for an internal cavity to accommodate and protect the RFID capsule device within said tag case cavity.

5. The combination of claim 1 where said tag having a hollow cavity portion below a connecting portion between said front and said back tag surface panels, with a small cavity access hole, typically 3 mm to 24 mm wide, that includes a removable rubber or plastic top sealing cap that may be placed to close and protect the RFID capsule device within said cavity by inserting such top seal between the top connecting portion of the upper surface areas of said tag to permit access or closure to said cavity holder within tag.

6. The tag and case of claim 1 wherein a convex curvature of said front and back covers blends smoothly into said rounded portion of said top end.

7. The tag and case of claim 1 wherein a concave curvature of said first cover connecting portion blends smoothly into said rounded portion of said first cover end.

8. The combination of claim 1 wherein said tag attaches or detaches from the pet collar by a circular connecting ring or hook attachment.

9. The tag and case of claim 1 wherein said hole to insert a connector is formed by a generally cylindrically shaped hollow cavity and sealed with a removable plastic or rubber reinforcement closure together with a metal or other plastic substrate rivet connection encasing the hole to hold the circular ring described in claim 7.

10. The tag and case of claim 1 wherein said front and back case portions and said tag are thin elongated members formed of a plastic substrate.

11. The tag and case of claim 1 wherein said front and back case surface portions are designed to accept printed alphanumeric information to visually help identify the pet. Such information can include a reference to the microchip capsule'"'"'s unique identification number (i.e., typically 15 or 16 digit alphanumeric letters and/or numbers) and other identifying data or printed instructions.

12. The case of claim 1 wherein the tag may be further encased in a separate and secondary plastic holder with thin flange to provide additional protection from damage with a hole on the secondary holder to insert a ring attachment to apply the tag and supplemental case holder to a pet'"'"'s collar. In this way the hole is placed on the secondary plastic casing holder without need to punch the hole in the tag itself.

13. The tag and case of claim 1 where the outer of said surfaces defining a surface area on oppositely oriented front and back faces of said tag.

14. The associated transponder of claim 1 where the transponder contains a layer of 0.2 mm thick paper that surrounds the RFID capsule and contains a thin layer of metal, to essentially function as a Faraday Cage to shut out electromagnetic fields and the associated ability of the transponder capsule to operate in a wireless radio frequency mode until the wrapper is physically removed.

15. The tag and case of claim 1 where the microchip capsule supplied in the case cavity and/or transponder is supplied encased within a thin metallic coating, or other suitable radio frequency shielding paper material, with a user removable peel-open or peel-off tab. Such coating is designed to shield and protect the transponder from being read by radio frequency methods until such time as the user chooses to activate the transponder capsule function by peeling off or opening the protective cavity seal, which effectively enables the tag within the cavity to be externally read by radio frequency transponder methods.

16. The claims of 1-15 whereby animal tag device can be optionally applied to airline baggage, travel cases, and portable electronic items that can be identified by application of said external identification tag with removable RFID capsule enclosed within the tag'"'"'s sealable hollow cavity.