Tag or label with laminated thin, flat, flexible device

• US 5,982,284 A
• Filed: 03/10/1998
• Issued: 11/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Original Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Inventors: Carothers, Edward, Hill, Terrell, Kuzma, Peter, Baldwin, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US09/037,735
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.8, 340/572.7, 340/572.1, 340/551, 340/825.54, 340/572.6, 343/895, 343/872, 343/873, 361/751, 361/752, 361/758, 235/487, 235/492, 600/444, 29/829, 29/832, 29/841, 29/850, 29/855, 156/299, 428/349, 428/41.9
• US Class Current: 340/572.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0672 with resonating marks
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07745 Mounting details of integrated circuit chips
• 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 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/003 using security elements using digital security elements G07D7/004
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2437 Tag layered structure, processes for making layered tags
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2445 Tag integrated into item to be protected, e.g. source tagging
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.

Abstract

A tag or label includes first and second sheets having facing sides. A thin, flat, flexible device is disposed between the facing sides of the first and second sheets and has opposing flat surfaces meeting at a perimeter surrounding the device. An adhesive fixes the facing sides of the first and second sheets to the opposing flat surfaces of the device and to one another except in an adhesion-free region, where the adhesion-free region is a frame-shaped adhesion-free region surrounding the perimeter of the device or a polygon-shaped adhesion-free region inside the perimeter of the device.

Claims

1. A tag or label, comprising:

first and second sheets having facing sides;

a thin, flat, flexible electronic device disposed between the facing sides of the first and second sheets and having opposing flat surfaces meeting at a perimeter surrounding the electronic device; and

an adhesive fixing the facing sides of the first and second sheets to the opposing flat surfaces of the device and to one another, except in an adhesion-free region.

2. The tag or label of claim 1, wherein the adhesion-free region extends beyond the perimeter of the electronic device.

3. The tag or label of claim 2, wherein the adhesion-free region extends continuously beyond and within the perimeter of the electronic device.

4. The tag or label of claim 1, wherein the adhesion-free region is located entirely within the perimeter of the electronic device.

5. The tag or label of claim 1, wherein the adhesion-free region is located at a relatively bulky portion of the electronic device.

6. The tag or label of claim 1, wherein the adhesion-free region is a continuous adhesion-free region.

7. The tag or label of claim 1, wherein the adhesion-free region is a frame-shaped region immediately surrounding the perimeter of the device.

8. The tag or label of claim 1, wherein the adhesion-free region is a polygon-shaped region inside the perimeter of the device.

9. The tag or label of claim 1, wherein the tag or label is applied to a product, and the electronic device transmits or receives a wireless signal.

10. The tag or label of claim 1, wherein an air gap is entrained between the first and second sheets in the region.

11. The tag or label of claim 1, wherein the adhesive comprises a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive coated on each of the facing sides of the first and second sheets, and further including an adhesive-deadening film coated on one of the layers of pressure-sensitive adhesive in the adhesion-free region.

12. The tag or label of claim 11, wherein the adhesive-deadening film comprises a UV curable varnish.

13. The tag or label of claim 1, wherein the adhesion-free region is formed by an absence of adhesive.

14. The tag or label of claim 1, wherein the second sheet comprises an anti-tear material.

15. The tag or label of claim 14, wherein the second sheet has a second side opposite the side fixed to the device, and further including a third sheet fixed to the second side of the second sheet, at least one of the first and third sheets having an exposed surface that is printable with graphics or variable information.

16. The tag or label of claim 15, wherein each of the first and third sheets includes an opaque barrier.

17. The tag or label of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second sheets includes an opaque barrier.

18. An anti-theft tag or label for being attached to a product, comprising:

an electronic device for wireless transmission of a signal, the electronic device having opposing flat surfaces meeting at a perimeter surrounding the electronic device;

first and second sheets each having one side coated with a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive, the one side of each sheet fastened to a respective one of the opposing surfaces of the electronic device and to the one side of the other sheet;

means for deadening the adhesive on at least one of the first and second sheets to form an adhesion-free region.

19. The tag or label of claim 18, wherein the adhesion-free region extends beyond the perimeter of the electronic device.

20. The tag or label of claim 19, wherein the adhesion-free region extends continuously beyond and within the perimeter of the electronic device.

21. The tag or label of claim 18, wherein the adhesion-free region is located entirely within the perimeter of the electronic device.

22. The tag or label of claim 18, wherein the adhesion-free region is located at a relatively bulky portion of the electronic device.

23. The tag or label of claim 18, wherein the adhesion-free region is a continuous adhesion-free region.

24. The anti-theft tag or label of claim 18, wherein the adhesion-free region is a frame-shaped adhesion-free region having an outer perimeter spaced from the perimeter of the electronic device and an inner perimeter extending inwardly at least to the perimeter of the electronic device.

25. The anti-theft tag or label of claim 18, wherein the adhesion-free region is a polygon-shaped adhesion-free region within the perimeter of the electronic device.

26. The anti-theft tag or label of claim 18, wherein the adhesive-deadening means comprises an adhesive-deadening film coated on one of the layers of pressure-sensitive adhesive of one of the sheets.

27. The anti-theft tag or label of claim 26, wherein the adhesive-deadening film comprises a UV varnish.

28. The anti-theft tag or label of claim 18, wherein the adhesive-deadening means comprises refraining from applying adhesive in the adhesion-free region.

29. The anti-theft tag or label of claim 18, wherein the second sheet comprises an anti-tear material.

30. The anti-theft tag or label of claim 29, wherein the second sheet has a second side opposite the one side coated with pressure-sensitive material, and further including a third sheet fixed to the second side of the second sheet, at least one of the first and third sheets having an exposed surface that is printable with graphics or variable information.

31. The anti-theft tag or label of claim 29, wherein each of the first and third sheets includes an opaque barrier.

32. The anti-theft tag or label of claim 18, wherein at least one of the first and second sheets includes an opaque barrier.