Direct integration of RFID elements into folding boxes

• US 7,796,042 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2006
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Baumer HHS GmbH (Baumer Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Man Roland Druckmaschinen AG (Allianz Se)
• Inventors: Weiss, Robert, Walther, Thomas, Dilling, Peer, Baumann, Reinhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fan; Hongmin
• Application Number:
  US11/922,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20090322478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,553 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.8, 340/572.1, 340/10.1, 156/60
• US Class Current: 340/572.8
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/81 Forming or attaching accessories, e.g. opening devices, closures or tear strings
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07775 the antenna being on-chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07779 the inductive antenna being a coil
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2445 Tag integrated into item to be protected, e.g. source tagging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1052 with cutting, punching, tearing or severing

Abstract

The aim of the invention is to simplify the attachment of RFID chips or RFID transponders to packagings. For this purpose, the RFID chips are produced as a single RFID label together with antenna elements that are functionally associated therewith. The chips or transponders can be attached to a packaging by means of corresponding devices during production of the printed material, during a subsequent treatment or finishing process of the printed material, during the preparation of the packaging, during production of the packaging or during filling of the packaging. At the time of attachment, the RFID chips can be tested and initialized. The invention allows to considerably simplify the so far complex processes required to integrate the RFID chips into different types of packaging.

Claims

1. A method for producing a package for packaging a product, the package including a packing material made of paper, cardboard, or plastic and an RIFD transponder integrated with the packing material, the RFID transponder being formed on a one-piece chip with an antenna, an oscillator, and data, said method comprising:

applying a layer of varnish to the packing material; and

bonding the chip to the packing material using a fixation agent, wherein the bonding comprises, applying the chip to the layer of varnish during passage of the packing material through a printing press, using at least one of a chip dispensing device or a chip applying device,

whereby the varnish film is the fixation agent for the chip.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of bonding comprises applying the chip together with the fixation agent to the packing material using a dispenser.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of bonding comprises first applying the fixation agent to the packing material, and then applying the chip using a chip dispenser in a subsequent substep.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein an air gap is present between the opening of the chip dispenser and the fixation agent on the packing material at the time the chip is applied such that the chip is applied to the packing material without physical contact between the chip and the fixation agent when the chip is released from the chip dispenser.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the chip is dipped into the fixation agent by the chip dispenser at the time the chip is applied so that the chip physically contacts the fixation agent when the chip is released from the chip dispenser.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of bonding comprises applying the chip to an adhesive surface of an adhesive strip, and then applying the adhesive strip together with the chip to the packing material.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the application of the fixation agent and the application of the chip are carried out before one of a printing process, a punching process, or a gluing process on the packing material.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the application of the fixation agent and the application of the chip are carried out during one of a printing process, a punching process, or a gluing process on the packing material.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the application of the fixation agent and the application of the chip are carried out after one of a printing process, a punching process, or a gluing process on the packing material.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the packing material includes a folding box with a glue tab and wherein the step of bonding comprises applying the chip, together with or separately from glue, to the glue tab of the folding box, and maneuvering the glue tab so that it is brought together with an opposing side of the folding box, the chip being located between the glue tab and the opposite side which have been glued to each other after the step of maneuvering.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of bonding comprises applying the chip to the packing material using a chip dispenser, wherein chip dispenser is actuated by a control unit of a glue dispenser device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of checking the chips for functionality after the chips are separated into individual units and before they are dispensed onto the package.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of testing the chips for functionality after the chips have been dispensed and fixed to the packing material.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of identifying pieces of packing material which failed said step of testing, labeling the failed pieces of packing material as defective using a marking device, and ejecting the defective packing material pieces from the production process after a punching process or during passage through a gluing machine.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of bonding comprises applying a dot of the fixation agent using a dispenser in a folding box set-up machine immediately before the box is filled in a final packaging machine, and then mounting the chip on the dot of the fixing agent.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the process of applying the fixation agent and the application of the chip are carried out in two different work steps in the final packaging machine.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of at least one of drying and curing the varnish film by a drying device after the chip is applied.