Deactivatable RFID labels and tags and methods of making same

• US 20070115129A1
• Filed: 11/23/2005
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Paxar Americas Incorporated (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Inventors: Kessler, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,375,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.300
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07345 by activating or deactivating at least a part of the circuit on the record carrier, e.g. ON/OFF switches
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07381 with deactivation or otherwise incapacitation of at least a part of the circuit upon detected tampering
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/244 Tag manufacturing, e.g. continuous manufacturing processes

Abstract

Disclosed are deactivatable RFID labels and tags in individual and web form, and methods of making same. When it is desired to deactivate the label or tag, the tag or label is subjected to tearing. One arrangement involves providing the label or tag with a tear strip by which the RFID transponder in the label or tag is destroyed, and in another arrangement a tag can be torn along a weakening line to destroy the RFID transponder.

Claims

1. A deactivatable RFID label, comprising:

a liner having a release coating, a label having pressure sensitive adhesive releasably adhered to the release coating,

an RFID transponder adhered to the adhesive, and

a tear strip crossing the transponder, and

wherein the tear strip is positioned between the liner and the transponder.

2. A label as defined in claim 1, wherein the transponder includes an RFID chip and an antenna coupled to the chip, and wherein the tear strip-crosses the antenna.

3. A series of labels as defined in claim 1, wherein

the liner comprises a longitudinally extending carrier web, there being a plurality of said labels and associated tear strips on the carrier web.

4. A label as defined in claim 1,

including at least one line of weakening at an end of the label at the tear strip.

5. A deactivatable RFID label, comprising:

a sheet of label material having pressure sensitive adhesive releasably adhered to the release coating,

an RFID transponder adhered to the adhesive, and

a tear strip crossing the transponder, and wherein the transponder is positioned between the label sheet and the tear strip.

6. A label as defined in claim 5, wherein the transponder includes an RFID chip and an antenna coupled to the chip, and wherein the tear strip crosses the antenna.

7. A series of labels as defined in claim 5, wherein the label material comprises a longitudinally extending web, there being a plurality of said labels and associated tear strips on the web.

8. A label as defined in claim 5,

including at least one line of weakening at an end of the label at the tear strip.

9. A label as defined in claim 5, wherein the label has a longitudinally extending tab overlying an end portion of the tear strip.

10. A-deactivatable RFID tag, comprising:

a pair of sheets of tag stock laminated to each other to form a tag,

an RFID transponder between the sheets, and

a line of weakening in at least one of the sheets across the transponder.

11. A tag as defined in claim 10, wherein

the transponder includes an RFID chip and an antenna coupled to the chip, and

wherein the line of weakening crosses the antenna.

12. A series of tags as defined in claim 10,

wherein the tags are connected at lines of weakening to form a web of RFID tags.

13. A tag as defined in claim 10,

wherein the transponder is closer to one end of the tag, and a telltale indicator at that end of the tag.

14. Method of making a web of deactivatable RFID labels, comprising:

providing a longitudinally extending web of label material,

placing RFID transponders at spaced apart locations on the label material web,

thereafter coating the transponder-containing web with pressure sensitive adhesive, and

thereafter adhering a tear strip to the adhesive across each transponder.

15. Method as defined in claim 14,

wherein the RFID transponders include RFID chips and antennas coupled to the chips, and

wherein the tear strips cross the antennas of the transponders.

16. Method as defined in claim 14, including

laminating a release liner adhered to the adhesive.

17. Method as defined in claim 14, including

applying a release coating to the side of the label material web opposite to the side of the web to which the adhesive coating is applied.

18. Method of making a web of deactivatable RFID tags, comprising:

providing a longitudinally extending first web of tag stock,

applying RFID transponders at spaced apart locations to the web,

applying a tear strip web across all the transponders, and

thereafter laminating a second web of tag stock to the first web with the transponders and the tear strip web sandwiched between the first and second webs to provide a web of tags.

19. Method as defined in claim 18, including

providing telltale indicators for the tags on one side of the tags so that when the tear strip is used, the tear strip will tear through the transponders.

20. A web of deactivatable RFID tags, comprising:

a first web of tag stock,

a second web of tag stock laminated to the first web,

spaced RFID transponders between the first and second webs, and

a tear strip crossing the transponders.