RFID TAG THAT PROVIDES A FLAT PRINT AREA AND A PINCH THAT ENABLES THE SAME

• US 20090205515A1
• Filed: 04/28/2009
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Original Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Inventors: FORSTER, Ian James, FERGUSON, Scott Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 8,083,151 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 101/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/121 by printing code marks applying code marks to labels B65C9/46; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26
• 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

Abstract

A radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag includes a face stock and an RFID device. The face stock has a printable side and an inlay side, with the RFID device mounted to the inlay side. A layer of adhesive is coated on the inlay side of the face stock. A liner is releasably adhered to the layer of adhesive and includes a relief area that accommodates for defection of the RFID device. The accommodation of the thickness of the RFID device results in a tag that has a substantially uniform printable surface. Accordingly, when passing through a printer, the printable surface is maintained substantially flat or linear at the print head of the printer, thereby minimizing jamming and enhancing printability. A pinch roller for a printer also accommodates for deflection of the RFID tag by providing a deformable section along a length thereof the body that has a greater resiliency than the rest of the body. At the location of the RFID device, the layer of adhesive may also include a blank that is substantially free of adhesive for accommodating the RFID device.

Claims

1. A method of printing on an RFID tag in a printer, the RFID tag including a face stock with a printable side and an inlay side and an RFID device disposed on the inlay side of the face stock such that the RFID tag has a greater thickness at the location of the RFID device than at other areas of the RFID tag, the printer including a print head and a pinch roller with a given separation therebetween, a transverse axis being defined along a length of the pinch roller and orthogonal to a print path of the printer, the method comprising:

maintaining the printable side of the face stock substantially linear along the transverse axis while the RFID tag is passing through the printer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the maintaining step further comprises maintaining the printing surface of the face stock substantially linear while the RFID tag is passing between the pinch roller and the print head.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the maintaining step further comprises maintaining the printing surface of the face stock substantially linear at the location of the RFID device.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the maintaining step further comprises increasing a separation between the print head and the pinch roller at an area where the RFID device passes therebetween while maintaining the given separation between the print head and the pinch roller at other areas.

5. A printer comprising:

a print head; and

a pinch roller that is rotatable about a transverse axis;

the pinch roller including a body with a deformable section;

whereby the deformable section is deformable to a greater degree than the rest of the body in a normal direction that is orthogonal to the transverse axis.

6. A pinch roller for a printer including a print head, the pinch roller comprising:

a body that is rotatable about a transverse axis; and

a deformable section disposed along a length of the body;

the deformable section being deformable to a greater degree than the rest of the body in a normal direction that is orthogonal to the transverse axis.