Label having a protective cavity and method of manufacture

• US 6,569,508 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brady Worldwide Incorporated (Brady Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Brady Worldwide Incorporated (Brady Corporation)
• Inventors: Babb, Susan M., Pomroy, Timothy J., Berndt, Evert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmad, Nasser
• Application Number:
  US09/822,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20010014377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 428/40.1, 428/40.2, 428/41.8, 428/41.9, 428/42.1, 428/131, 428/137, 428/189, 343/895, 343/894, 343/897, 340/570, 340/572
• US Class Current: 428/40.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0493 for attachment on the tyre
• 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 19/0775 arrangements for connecting the integrated circuit to the antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16 of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16227 the bump connector connecting to a bond pad of the item
• 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 2924/07811 Extrinsic, i.e. with electrical conductive fillers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 Electromagnetic shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2241 used in or for vehicle tyres
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/14 Layer or component removable to expose adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1405 Capsule or particulate matter containing [e.g., sphere, flake, microballoon, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1476 Release layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1481 Dissimilar adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1486 Ornamental, decorative, pattern, or indicia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/23 Sheet including cover or casing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24273 including aperture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24322 Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24331 including nonapertured component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24752 Laterally noncoextensive components

Abstract

A label includes an inlay including a conductive material. A sheet is fixed over at least a portion of the inlay, and has a first surface and a second surface. A protective material is fixed to the first surface of the sheet, and an aperture extending through the protective material and sheet is positioned over at least a portion of the conductive material to define a protective cavity. A device is disposed in the protective cavity, and electrically connected to the conductive material, wherein the protective cavity surrounds the device. In another aspect of the present invention, the protective material is expandable from an unexpanded height to an expanded height, and the expanded height is at least 10% greater than the unexpanded height.

Claims

1. A label comprising:

an inlay including;

an expandable material fixed over at least a portion of said inlay, said material being expandable from an unexpanded height to an expanded height, wherein said expanded height is at least 10% greater than said unexpanded height; and

an aperture formed in said expandable material, and defining a protective cavity above said inlay, wherein said expanding the expandable material increases the height of the protective cavity.

2. The label as in claim 1, in which said inlay includes:

a substrate;

a first conductive material deposited onto said substrate, and shaped to define two electrical attachment pads;

a dielectric material deposited onto said substrate, and surrounding said attachment pads and extending outward therefrom to form a label boundary; and

a second conductive material deposited onto said dielectric material and shaped to form an antenna having two portions which electrically connect to the respective attachment pads.

3. The label as in claim 1, in which said expandable material is fixed to a sheet which is fixed over said inlay.

4. The label as in claim 3, in which at least one of said sheet and said expandable material is adhesively fixed to said inlay.

5. The label as in claim 3, in which said sheet is adhesively fixed over said inlay.

6. The label as in claim 1, in which said inlay is releasably fixed to a carrier strip.

7. The label as in claim 2, in which a device is disposed in said cavity, and electrically connected to said first conductive material.

8. The label as in claim 7, further comprising an encapsulating material encapsulating said device in said protective cavity.

9. The label as in claim 1, in which said expanded height is at least 25% greater than said unexpanded height.

10. The label as in claim 1, in which said expandable material is selected from a group consisting of a thermally expandable ink and a binder including an expandable additive.

11. The label as in claim 10, wherein said binder is a polymeric resin system.

12. The label as in claim 11, wherein said polymeric resin system comprises a resin selected from the group consisting of a polyester, vinyl, ethylene vinyl acetate, acrylic, polyurethane, or a combination thereof.

13. The label as in claim 11, wherein said polymeric resin system comprises a solvent selected from the group consisting of methyl ethyl ketone, toluene, cyclohexane and a glycol ether.

14. The label as in claim 10, wherein said expandable additive is thermoplastic hollow spheres containing a gas.

15. The label as in claim 10, wherein said expandable additive is a blowing agent.

16. A label comprising:

an inlay including a conductive material;

a sheet fixed over at least a portion of said inlay, and having a first surface and a second surface;

a protective material fixed to said first surface of said sheet;

an aperture extending through said protective material and said sheet, and positioned over at least a portion of said conductive material to define a protective cavity; and

a device disposed in said protective cavity, and electrically connected to said conductive material, wherein said protective cavity surrounds said device.

17. The label as in claim 16, in which at least one of said sheet and said protective material is adhesively fixed to said inlay.

18. The label as in claim 16, in which said inlay is releasably fixed to a carrier strip.

19. The label as in claim 16, in which an adhesive is applied to said second sheet surface, and said adhesive fixes said sheet over at least a portion of said inlay.

20. The label as in claim 16, in which said protective material is expandable to an expanded height which is at least 10% greater than an unexpanded height.

21. The label as in claim 16, in which said protective material is expandable and selected from a group consisting of a thermally expandable ink and a binder including an expandable additive.

22. The label as in claim 21, wherein said binder is a polymeric resin system.

23. The label as in claim 22, wherein said polymeric resin system comprises a resin selected from the group consisting of a polyester, vinyl, ethylene vinyl acetate, acrylic, polyurethane, or a combination thereof.

24. The label as in claim 22, wherein said polymeric resin system comprises a solvent selected from the group consisting of methyl ethyl ketone, toluene, cyclohexane and a glycol ether.

25. The label as in claim 21, wherein said expandable additive is thermoplastic hollow spheres containing a gas.

26. The label as in claim 21, wherein said expandable additive is a blowing agent.

27. The label as in claim 16, in which a face sheet is fixed over said device.