Method and Apparatus for Blow-Molding Containers with In-Mold Film Having RFID Tag Fused Thereto
First Claim
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1. A method of molding a container having an RFID tag therein, comprising the steps of:
- molding a heated parison;
positioning the heated parison between halves of a mold having a cavity in the form of the desired container;
placing an in-mold film in contact with the heated parison, the in-mold film having the RFID tag incorporated therein;
forcing the mold halves together;
inflating the heated parison to form the container; and
removing the container from the mold with the in-mold film and RFID tag fused thereto.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for manufacturing plastic containers having RFID tags embedded therein is disclosed. The bottles are manufactured using a blow-molding technique wherein an in-mold film having an RFID tag embedded therein is positioned or placed against the parison immediately prior to the blow mold being closed and the pressurized air being used to inflate the parison. The resulting container thus has an RFID tag fused thereto to allow for tracking and tracing of the container after manufacture, as well as providing a mechanism by which the authenticity of the bottle can be verified.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of molding a container having an RFID tag therein, comprising the steps of:
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molding a heated parison; positioning the heated parison between halves of a mold having a cavity in the form of the desired container; placing an in-mold film in contact with the heated parison, the in-mold film having the RFID tag incorporated therein; forcing the mold halves together; inflating the heated parison to form the container; and removing the container from the mold with the in-mold film and RFID tag fused thereto. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of molding a container having an RFID tag therein, comprising the steps of:
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injection molding a heated parison around a mandrel; positioning the heated parison and mandrel between halves of a mold having a cavity in the form of the desired container; placing an in-mold film into direct contact with the heated parison, the in-mold film having at least four layers and the RFID tag incorporated therein; forcing the mold halves together; inflating the heated parison to form the container; and removing the container from the mold with the in-mold film and RFID tag fused thereto. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An apparatus for molding a container having an RFID tag therein, comprising:
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a turn-table having a plurality of mandrels outwardly extending therefrom, the turn-table being rotatable in increments such that the mandrels sequentially move along a linear pathway; and a plurality of stations positioned along the pathway such that each station is in close proximity to at least one mandrel at any one time, the plurality of stations including at least a first station having a parison mold for injection molding a parison onto the mandrel, a second station for positioning an in-mold film having the RFID tag therein directly onto the parison and having a blow mold for blow-molding the container, a third station for removing the container from the mandrel, and a fourth station for conditioning and preparing the mandrel for molding a new parison thereon. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification