High-speed RFID circuit placement method and device

• US 20060238345A1
• Filed: 06/09/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Inventors: Ferguson, Scott Wayne, Kiehne, Werner, Linkmann, Ralf
• Granted Patent: US 7,623,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• 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 19/07752 using an interposer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07756 the connection being non-galvanic, e.g. capacitive
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0095 Testing the sensing arrangement, e.g. testing if a magnetic card reader, bar code reader, RFID interrogator or smart card reader functions properly testing of electrical circuits G01R31/28
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67144 Apparatus for mounting on conductive members, e.g. leadframes or conductors on insulating substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67271 Sorting devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/75822 Rotational mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49004 including measuring or testing of device or component part
• 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.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49133 with component orienting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49137 Different components

Abstract

A high-speed machine and method for placing an RFID circuit onto an electrical component includes separating an RFID circuit from a web of RFID circuits, and placing the RFID circuit onto an electrical component with a placing device. The separating includes directing the RFID circuit onto a transfer drum of the placement device and separably coupling the RFID circuit to the transfer drum. According to one method, a separator device separates and directs chips or interposers onto a placement device. According to another method, chips or interposers are tested before being separated from a web, and if good, are separated from the web, directed onto a placement device, and placed on an electrical component. If defective, the chips or interposers are not directed onto a placement device and are removed by a scrap web removal device.

Claims

1. A method of placing an RFID circuit onto an electrical component, the method comprising:

separating an RFID circuit from a web of RFID circuits; and

,

placing the RFID circuit onto an electrical component with a placement device;

wherein the separating includes;

directing the RFID circuit onto a transfer drum of the placement device; and

separably coupling the RFID circuit to the transfer drum.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transfer drum is stationary when the RFID circuit is separably coupled thereto.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the separating the RFID circuit from the web of RFID circuits includes cutting the RFID circuit from the web of RFID circuits.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the separating the RFID circuit from the web of RFID circuits includes punching the RFID circuit using the placement device as an anvil.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the placing the RFID circuit onto an electrical component includes rotating the transfer drum.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one RFID circuit includes an RFID interposer that includes interposer leads mounted to an RFID chip.

7. A machine for making an RFID device comprising:

an RFID circuit separation device; and

a rotary placement device;

wherein the RFID circuit separation device includes a punch member configured to separate at least one RFID circuit from a web of RFID circuits and direct the at least one RFID circuit onto a transfer drum of the rotary placement device.

8. The machine of claim 7, wherein the rotary placement device includes at least one vacuum nozzle configured to separably couple the at least one RFID circuit thereto.

9. The machine of claim 7, wherein the punch member includes an edge configured to cut the at least one RFID circuit from the web of RFID circuits.

10. The machine of claim 7, wherein the punch member includes a vacuum nozzle configured to separably couple the at least one RFID circuit thereto while directing the RFID circuit onto the transfer drum of the rotary placement device.

11. The machine of claim 7, wherein the punch member is configured to engage the web of RFID circuits against the rotary placement device.

12. The machine of claim 7, wherein the rotary placement device includes at least one transfer drum having at least one vacuum nozzle along a circumferential surface thereof;

and

wherein the at least one nozzle is configured to receive and separably couple an RFID circuit directed thereto by the punch member.

13. The machine of claim 7, wherein the punch member is configured to cut the at least one RFID circuit from the web of RFID circuits using the rotary placement device as an anvil.

14. A machine for making an RFID device comprising:

a web advancement device configured to advance a web of RFID circuits through an RFID circuit separation device; and

,

a scrap web removal device downstream of the RFID circuit separation device;

wherein the web advancement device and scrap web removal device are configured to cooperatively advance the web of RFID circuits through the RFID circuit separation device to prevent buckling of the web of RFID circuits as the web of RFID circuits passes through the RFID circuit separation device.

15. The machine of claim 14, wherein the web advancement device advances the web of RFID circuits at a first rate;

and

wherein the scrap web removal device advances the web at a second rate that is greater than the first rate, thereby imparting tension in the web of RFID circuits between the web advancement device and the scrap web removal device.

16. The machine of claim 14, wherein the web advancement device further includes a pair of opposing rollers configured to engage the web of RFID circuits.

17. The machine of claim 14, wherein the scrap web removal device further includes a pair of opposing rollers configured to engage a web of RFID circuits.

18. A method of making an RFID device, comprising:

testing an RFID circuit that is on a web of RFID circuits;

if the RFID is determined by the testing to be non-defective,

positioning the non-defective RFID circuit in an RFID circuit separation device;

separating the non-defective RFID circuit from the web of RFID circuits with a punch member;

directing the non-defective RFID circuit onto a rotary placement device with the punch member; and

placing the non-defective RFID circuit onto an electrical component with the rotary placement device;

if the RFID circuit is determined by the testing to be defective,

advancing the defective RFID circuit to a scrap RFID web removal device; and

removing the defective RFID circuit from the web, with the scrap RFID web removal device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the advancing the defective RFID circuit on the web includes advancing the defective RFID circuit to a location downstream of the RFID circuit separation device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the removing the defective RFID circuit with the scrap RFID web removal device includes cutting the web of RFID circuits.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the removing the defective RFID circuit with the scrap RFID web removal device includes collecting the scrap RFID circuit web in a receptacle.