LABEL WITH ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME

• US 20070085685A1
• Filed: 03/10/2006
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Original Assignee: RF Identics Inc (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Inventors: Phaneuf, Peter, Burns, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 7,224,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.800
• CPC Class Codes: B31D 1/025 Applying patches, washers or reinforcements
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/02 characterised by the selection of materials, e.g. to avoid wear during transport through the machine
• 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: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49018 with other electrical component

Abstract

A method of making an electronic label, such as an RFID label, includes attaching a circuit, such as an antenna, to a substrate material, applying an adhesive layer to the substrate material over the circuit, adding a release layer over the adhesive layer, forming at least one opening in the release layer to expose at least one portion of the circuit, and connecting a microchip to the at least one portion of the circuit through the at least one opening. The electronic label includes a substrate having on one surface a circuit including at least one microchip, a layer of adhesive covering the circuit and the one surface of the substrate, and a release layer covering the adhesive layer. The circuit can be an RFID inlay, including an antenna and a microchip, and can be formed of a conductive ink. A portion of the release layer at the at least one microchip has an opening to expose the at least one microchip so that the at least one microchip is free from coverage by the release layer.

Claims

1. A method of making an electronic label comprising a circuit and a microchip in cooperative disposition, the method comprising the steps of:

attaching the circuit to a substrate;

applying an adhesive layer to the substrate over at least a portion of the circuit;

applying a release layer over the adhesive layer, and forming at least one opening in the release layer to expose at least one portion of the circuit.

2. A method of making an electronic label according to claim 1 and further comprising the step of depositing at least one microchip in the at the least one opening and attaching the at least one microchip to the at least one circuit portion.

3. A method of making an electronic label according to claim 2 wherein the step of forming at least one opening in the release layer comprises forming multiple openings In the release layer and the step of a depositing at least one microchip comprises depositing a microchip in each of the multiple openings.

4. A method of making an electronic label according to claim 1 wherein the circuit is an antenna and the microchip is an RFID chip.

5. A method of making an electronic label according to claim 1 and further comprising the step of removing through the at least one opening a portion of the adhesive layer in registry with the at least one exposed portion of the circuit.

6. A method of making an electronic label according to claim 1 wherein the release layer is of indefinite length and a plurality of circuits are attached to the substrate.

7. A method of making an electronic label according to claim 6 and further comprising the step of winding the circuit-bearing substrate and the release layer into a roll.

8. A method of making an electronic label according to claim 6 wherein the substrate is of indefinite length and further comprising the step of die separating the substrate into labels.

9. A method of making an electronic label according to claim 6 and further comprising:

applying the microchips to the circuits; and

winding the release layer into a roll subsequent to the step of applying the microchips to the circuits.

10. A method of making an electronic label according to claim 9 wherein the release layer is wound into the roll loosely at a relatively low tension to minimize damage to the microchips.

19. A label formed by the method of claim 1.

20. A roll of labels formed by the method of claim 1.

21. A roll of labels formed by the method of claim 2.

22. A method of making an electronic label according to claim 2 wherein the microchip is a strap.

23. A method of making an electronic label according to claim 5 and further comprising:

depositing at least one microchip in the at the least one opening; and

attaching the at least one microchip to the at least one circuit portion.

24. A method of making an electronic label according to claim 23, wherein the attaching the at least one microchip includes adhesively attaching the at least one microchip to the at least one circuit portion.

25. A method of making an electronic label according to claim 24, further comprising, prior to the adhesively attaching, applying a chip adhesive through the at least one opening.

26. A method of making an electronic label according to claim 24, wherein the adhesively attaching includes adhesively attaching the at least one microchip with the chip adhesive previously applied through the at least one opening.

27. A method of making an electronic label according to claim 1, wherein the applying the adhesive layer includes not applying adhesive in an area corresponding the at least one opening in the release area.

28. A method of making an electronic label according to claim 1, wherein the forming the at least one opening Includes removing a strip of the release layer.

29. A method of making an electronic label according to claim 28, further comprising:

depositing at least one microchip in the at the least one opening;

attaching the at least one microchip to the at least one circuit portion; and

subsequent to the attaching the at least one microchip, reapplying the strip of the release layer.

30. A method of making an electronic layer according to claim 29, further comprising retaining the strip on a roller during at least some at least one of the depositing the at least one microchip and the attaching the at least one microchip.

31. A method of making an electronic label according to claim 1, further comprising cutting the substrate into individual labels.

32. A method of making an electronic label according to claim 7, further comprising:

unwinding the circuit-bearing substrate and the release layer; and

inserting at least one microchip in the at least one opening in the release layer.

33. A method of making an electronic label according to claim 1, further comprising applying a chip adhesive through the at least one opening.

34. A method of making an electronic label according to claim 33, further comprising adhesively attaching the at least one microchip with the chip adhesive previously applied through the at least one opening.

35. A method of making an electronic label according to claim 34, wherein the adhesively attaching includes curing the chip adhesive.

36. A method of making an electronic label according to claim 1, wherein the attaching the circuit to the substrate includes printing a conductive ink circuit on the substrate.

37. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising printing information on the substrate after the attaching the circuit to the substrate, the applying the adhesive layer, and the applying the release layer.

11. An electronic label comprising:

a substrate having one surface with a circuit thereon;

a layer of adhesive at least partially covering the circuit and the one surface of the substrate; and

a release layer covering the adhesive layer;

wherein the release layer has an opening exposing at least a portion of the circuit.

12. An electronic label according to claim 11,

further comprising at least one microchip attached to the circuit;

and

wherein the opening is positioned at the at least one microchip.

13. An electronic label according to claim 12 wherein there are multiple microchips attached to the circuit and multiple openings in the release layer in registry with each of the multiple microchips.

14. An electronic label according to claim 12,

wherein the circuit includes an antennae;

and

wherein the antenna and the at least one a microchip constitute an RFID inlay.

15. An electronic label according to claim 11 wherein the circuit is formed of a conductive ink.

16. An electronic label according to claim 11 wherein the adhesive layer has at least one opening in registry with the opening in the release layer.

17. A roll of electronic labels comprising a release layer of Indefinite length and a label according to claim 11.

18. A roll of electronic labels comprising a release layer of indefinite length and a label according to claim 12.

38. An electronic label according to claim 12, wherein the microchip is a strap.

39. An electronic label according to claim 16, further constituting a chip adhesive in the opening in the adhesive layer attaching at least one microchip to the circuit.

40. An electronic label according to claim 11, wherein the substrate has information printed thereupon.