RF tag application system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Apparatus for forming printed labels having electronic tags thereon, comprising:
- a media supply station configured to receive a linerless strip of label stock having a front face, an opposite back face, and a layer of adhesive on said back face;
a tag supply station configured to receive a linerless strip of RF tags;
a tag application station positioned to apply an electronic tag to said back face of a label;
a print station having a printhead for printing on said front face, said print station being positioned upstream of said tag application station and downstream of said media supply station;
an RF read head positioned between said tag supply station and said tag application station to check for the presence of defective tags;
a media cutter positioned upstream of said tag application station and downstream of said print station for cutting said strip of label stock into discrete labels;
a media guide pathway extending between said media supply station and said tag application station a tag cuter positioned upstream of said tag application station and downstream of said tag supply station for cutting said strip of electronic tags into discrete tags; and
a tag guide pathway extending between said tag supply station and said tag application station.
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Abstract
Linerless label stock 102 is fed to a printer that prints on the front face 104 of the label stock 102 and then to a media cutter 224. The cutter 224 cuts the strip into discrete labels, which are fed to a tag application station 226. A strip of electronic tags is fed through an encoder that detects defective tags and then to a tag cutter 246 that cuts the strip into discrete tags. Defective tags exiting the cutter 246 are diverted away from the tag application station. Non-defective tags are conveyed to the tag application station 226 where they are secured to the back face of labels.
86 Citations
21 Claims
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1. Apparatus for forming printed labels having electronic tags thereon, comprising:
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a media supply station configured to receive a linerless strip of label stock having a front face, an opposite back face, and a layer of adhesive on said back face;
a tag supply station configured to receive a linerless strip of RF tags;
a tag application station positioned to apply an electronic tag to said back face of a label;
a print station having a printhead for printing on said front face, said print station being positioned upstream of said tag application station and downstream of said media supply station;
an RF read head positioned between said tag supply station and said tag application station to check for the presence of defective tags;
a media cutter positioned upstream of said tag application station and downstream of said print station for cutting said strip of label stock into discrete labels;
a media guide pathway extending between said media supply station and said tag application station a tag cuter positioned upstream of said tag application station and downstream of said tag supply station for cutting said strip of electronic tags into discrete tags; and
a tag guide pathway extending between said tag supply station and said tag application station.
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2. Apparatus for forming printed labels having electronic tags thereon, comprising:
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a media supply station configured to receive a linerless strip of label stock having a front face, an opposite back face, and a layer of adhesive on said back face a tag supply station configured to receive a linerless strip of electronic tags;
a tag application station positioned to apply an electronic tag to said back face of a label;
a print station having a printhead for printing on said front face, said print station being positioned upstream of said tag application station and downstream of said media supply station;
a media cutter positioned upstream of said tag application station and downstream of said print station for cutting said strip of label stock into discrete labels;
an adhesive resistant media guide pathway extending between said media supply station and said tag application station;
a tag cutter positioned upstream of said tag application station and downstream of said tag supply station for cutting said strip of electronic tags into discrete tags; and
a tag guide pathway extending between said tag supply station and said tag application station. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. Apparatus for forming labels having RF tags thereon, comprising:
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a media supply station configured to receive a linerless strip of label stock having a front face, an opposite back face, and a layer of adhesive on said back face a tag supply station configured to receive a linerless strip of RF tags;
a tag application station positioned to apply an RF tag to said back face of a label;
a media cutter positioned upstream of said tag application station and downstream of said media supply station for cutting said strip of label stock into discrete labels;
an adhesive resistant media guide pathway extending between said media supply station and said tag application station;
a tag cutter positioned upstream of said tag application station and downstream of said tag supply station for cutting said strip of RF tags into discrete tags;
a tag guide pathway extending between said tag supply station and said tag application station;
an RF read head positioned between said tag supply station and said tag application station to check for the presence of defective tags; and
means for diverting defective tags off said tag guide pathway and away from said tag application station. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of forming labels having information on a front face thereof and also including an electronic tag, comprising:
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providing a linerless strip of label stock having a front face with information thereon and an opposite back face;
feeding the strip of label stock to a media cutter, and, at the media cutter, cutting the strip of label stock into discrete labels feeding the discrete labels to a tag application station providing a linerless strip of electronic tags;
feeding the strip of electronic tags to a tag cutter, and, at the tag cutter, cutting the strip of electronic tags into discrete tags;
reading the tags to detect defective tags;
diverting defective tags away from the tag application station; and
at the tag application station, applying an electronic tag that has been read and not found to be defective to the back face of a label. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification