ULTRASONICALLY WELDED LABEL SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20200134408A1
• Filed: 10/30/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Avery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Inventors: Law, Yuk Yu
• Granted Patent: US 11,763,119 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2793/009 after shaping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2795/002 before shaping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/086 using a rotary anvil
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4815 Hot melt adhesives, e.g. thermoplastic adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4825 Pressure sensitive adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/483 Reactive adhesives, e.g. chemically curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/5057 positioned between the surfaces to be joined B29C65/5035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/749 Removing scrap deburring welded articles B29C37/04
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/24244 forming a rectangle
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/433 Casing-in, i.e. enclosing an element between two sheets by an outlined seam for bookbinding B42C11/06; for packaging B65B; by laminating B32B37/00; enclosing tubular articles between substantially flat elements B29C66/53261
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/729 Textile or other fibrous material made from plastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7292 coated B29C66/72941 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73187 to liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81463 comprising a plurality of single pressing elements, e.g. a plurality of sonotrodes, or comprising a plurality of single counter-pressing elements, e.g. a plurality of anvils, said plurality of said single elements being suitable for making a single joint
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/83411 Roller, cylinder or drum types B29C66/83431 takes precedence; rollers, cylinders or drums moving relative to and tangentially to the parts to be joined B29C66/8362
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2017/00 Carriers for sound or information
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/744 Labels, badges, e.g. marker sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/027 : the material being suitable for use as a textile, e.g. woven-based RFID-like labels designed for attachment to laundry items markings attached to laundry items in general D06F93/00
• 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: G09F 2003/0282 : for textiles, e.g. clothing
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0335 : using RFID tags

Abstract

Systems and methods of using ultrasonic welding to form labels with RFID tags are disclosed. The methods can be useful for the production of a large volume of labels such as production with roll-to-roll processing. The labels can be useful for consumer products such as garments. The present invention discloses in one embodiment, a label having a first and second printed fabric label layer such that a radio frequency identification (RFID) inlay is disposed between the two printed fabric layers

Claims

1. A label, comprising:

a first layer;

a second layer ultrasonically welded to the first layer; and

at least one radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) inlay disposed between the first layer and the second layer.

2. The label of claim 1, wherein the first layer and the second layer are printed fabric layers.

3. The label of claim 1, wherein the at least one RFID inlay comprises an RFID chip in electrical communication with an antenna.

4. The label of claim 1, wherein the at least one RFID inlay comprises an RFID strap in electrical communication with an antenna.

5. The label of claim 2, further comprising:

an adhesive configured to secure the at least one RFID inlay to the first printed fabric layer.

6. The label of claim 2, further comprising:

a waterproof layer disposed between the at least one RFID inlay and the second printed fabric layer.

7. The label of claim 6, further comprising:

a second waterproof layer disposed between the at least one RFID inlay and the first printed fabric layer.

8. The label of claim 2, wherein the label has four edges and wherein the second printed fabric label layer is ultrasonically welded to the first printed fabric layer substantially along the four edges of the label.

9. A roll-to-roll label processing apparatus, comprising:

a lamination roll configured to

receive a first printed fabric label layer, an RFID inlay, and a second printed fabric label layer, and

press the RFID inlay between the first printed fabric label layer and the second printed fabric label layer to form a joined label; and

one or more ultrasonic welders configured to ultrasonically weld portions of the second printed fabric label layer to the first printed fabric layer against one or more corresponding rotary anvils to form an continuous web of labels.

10. The roll-to-roll label processing apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

an edges slitting roller configured to trim the sides of the continuous web.

11. The roll-to-roll label processing apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a plurality of web guides configured to receive the continuous web; and

a sonic knife configured to separate individual labels from the continuous web,

wherein each individual label includes an RFID inlay.

12. The roll-to-roll label processing apparatus of claim 9, further comprising

a plurality of web guides configured to receive the continuous web, and

wherein at least one ultrasonic welder includes a sonic knife configured to separate individual labels from the continuous web.

13. The roll-to-roll label processing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the RFID inlay comprises an RFID chip in electrical communication with an antenna.

14. The roll-to-roll label processing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the RFID inlay comprises an RFID strap in electrical communication with an antenna.

15. The roll-to-roll label processing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first printed fabric label layer further includes a waterproof layer configured to be disposed between the first printed fabric layer and the RFID inlay.

16. The roll-to-roll label processing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second printed fabric label layer further includes a second waterproof layer configured to be disposed between the second printed fabric layer and the RFID inlay.

17. The roll-to-roll label processing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the RFID inlay includes an adhesive configured to secure the RFID inlay to the first printed fabric layer.

18. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a lamination roll, a first printed fabric label layer, a plurality of RFID inlays, and a second printed fabric label layer;

joining, by the lamination roll, the first printed fabric label layer, the plurality of RFID inlays, and the second printed fabric label layer; and

ultrasonically welding, by an ultrasonic welder, portions of the second printed fabric layer to the first printed fabric label layer to seal one or more RFID inlays between the first printed fabric layer and the second printed fabric layer to form a continuous web of individual labels each including at least one RFID inlay.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

trimming, by an edge slitting roller, edges of the continuous web of individual labels.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

separating, by a sonic knife, the individual labels from the continuous web of individual labels.