Multi-layer film element

• US 8,350,768 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2008
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leonhard KURZ Stiftung & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Leonhard KURZ Stiftung & Company KG
• Inventors: Peters, John Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCUSO, HUEDUNG XUAN CAO
• Application Number:
  US12/663,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20100182211A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,681 Days
• Field of Search: 343/730, 343/702, 343/700.MS, 296/00
• US Class Current: 343/730
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06009 with optically detectable marking G06K19/063, G06K19/08 take precedence
• 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 19/07756 the connection being non-galvanic, e.g. capacitive
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07767 the first and second communication means being two different antennas types, e.g. dipole and coil type, or two antennas of the same kind but operating at different frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07779 the inductive antenna being a coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07783 the coil being planar
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07784 the inductive antenna consisting of a plurality of coils stacked on top of one another
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07786 the antenna being of the HF type, such as a dipole
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/08 using markings of different kinds or more than one marking of the same kind in the same record carrier, e.g. one marking being sensed by optical and the other by magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/0629 Holographic, diffractive or retroreflective recording
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

The invention concerns a multi-layer film element (1) and a process for the production of such a film element. The multi-layer film element (1) has at least one flexible dielectric layer (16) and one or more electrically conductive layers (15, 17) each comprising an electrically conductive material. The layer thickness of the electrically conductive layer or layers is in each case less than 20 μm. The electrically conductive layer or layers are shaped in pattern form for forming two or more conductor structures which are coupled together to afford an antenna structure galvanically connected to an electric circuit (19).

Claims

1. A multi-layer film element comprising at least one flexible dielectric layer and one or more electrically conductive layers each comprising an electrically conductive material,

wherein the layer thickness of the electrically conductive layers or the electrically conductive layer is respectively less than 20 μ

m and the multi-layer film element is a laminating film or a transfer film and the electrically conductive layer or the electrically conductive layers is or are shaped in pattern form for forming two or more conductor structures which are coupled together to provide an antenna structure galvanically connected to an electric circuit,

wherein the film element has an optically active layer arranged in the film element in such a way that it at least partially covers over the two or more conductor structures, and

wherein the electrically conductive layer comprises a reflection layer cooperating with the optically active layer.

2. A film element as set forth in claim 1, wherein the two or more conductor structures are shaped in two or more different conductive layers.

3. A film element as set forth in claim 1, wherein a first of the conductor structures is shaped in a first of the conductive layers and a second of the conductor structures is shaped in a second of the conductive layers and the dielectric layer is arranged between the first and second conductive layers.

4. A film element as set forth in claim 3, wherein the first and second conductor structures are coupled together by way of an electrically conductive pass-through contacting.

5. A film element as set forth in claim 4, wherein the first and second conductor structures are coupled together by way of an electrically conductive adhesive.

6. A film element as set forth in claim 3, wherein a third conductor structure is shaped in the first conductive layer and a first electrode of the electric circuit is galvanically connected to the first conductor structure and a second electrode of the electric circuit is galvanically connected to the third conductor structure.

7. A film element as set forth in claim 6, wherein the first, second and third conductor structures are respectively formed by a coil-form structure, the first conductor structure is coupled to the second conductor structure galvanically by way of a pass-through contacting and/or inductively/capacitively and the second conductor structure is coupled to the third conductor structure galvanically by way of a pass-through contacting and/or inductively/capacitively.

8. A film element as set forth in claim 7, wherein an end of the first conductor structure is galvanically connected by way of a pass- through contacting to an end of the second conductor structure and an end of the third conductor structure is galvanically connected by way of a pass-through contacting to the other end of the second conductor structure.

9. A film element as set forth in claim 3, wherein a first electrode of the electric circuit is galvanically connected to the first conductor structure and a second electrode of the electric circuit is galvanically connected to the second conductor structure and the first conductor structure is otherwise not galvanically connected to the second conductor structure.

10. A film element as set forth in claim 3, wherein the electric circuit is galvanically connected to the first conductor structure but not to the second conductor structure.

11. A film element as set forth in claim 10, wherein the first and second conductor structures are galvanically separated from each other and capacitively and/or inductively coupled together.

12. A film element as set forth in claim 11, wherein the first and second conductor structures are coupled together by way of capacitor plates.

13. A film element as set forth in claim 3, wherein the first and second conductor structures are respectively formed by a coil-form structure embracing a conductor track arranged in coil form.

14. A film element as set forth in claim 13, wherein the turns of the conductor track of each of the coil-form structures are spaced from each other at less than 0.5mm.

15. A film element as set forth in claim 14, wherein the turns of the conductor track of each of the coil-form structures are spaced from each other at less than 0.3mm.

16. A film element as set forth in claim 13, wherein the conductor track of the coil-form structures are respectively of a width of less than 5mm.

17. A film element as set forth in claim 3, wherein the first conductor structure and the second conductor structure are formed by two different antenna structures, selected from the group of an antenna coil, a dipole antenna, a bipole antenna, a loop antenna and a slot antenna.

18. A film element as set forth in claim 17, wherein the first conductor structure is formed by an antenna structure for coupling in the near field and the second conductor structure is formed by an antenna structure for coupling in the far field.

19. A film element as set forth in claim 17, wherein the film element has a third conductor structure, a further dielectric layer is provided between the second conductor structure and the third conductor structure, and the first conductor structure and the third conductor structure are respectively formed by a dipole antenna and the third conductor structure by a coil-form structure.

20. A film element as set forth in claim 1, wherein the two or more conductor structures are respectively formed by a conductor track having a first end and a second end, wherein the first ends of the conductor structures are connected to a first electrode of the electric circuit and the second ends of the conductor structures are connected to a second electrode of the electric circuit.

21. A film element as set forth in claim 20, wherein the two or more conductor structures are respectively formed by a conductor track forming a loop-shaped turn and the conductor track of the two or more conductor structures are shaped in the same conductive layer and are arranged in substantially mutually parallel relationship.

22. A film element as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the electrically conductive layers is formed by a layer of a transfer layer portion of a transfer film, which is connected to the dielectric layer by means of an adhesive layer.

23. A film element as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of the conductive layers is of a layer thickness of less than 8μ

m.

24. A film element as set forth in claim 1, wherein the two or more conductor structures occupy an area of less than 90×

50mm.

25. A film element as set forth in claim 1, wherein the film element has an optically active layer has having a microscopic or macroscopic surface relief having an optical-diffraction effect, or a surface relief in the form of lens structures, matt structures or blaze gratings, a thin-film layer, a liquid crystal layer or a layer having optically active pigments, wherein the optically active layer is arranged in the film element in such a way that it at least partially covers over two or more conductor structures.

26. A film element as set forth in claim 25, wherein a coding which can be optically read out is contained in the optically active layer.

27. A film element as set forth in claim 1, wherein the film element is in the form of a hot embossing film, comprising a carrier film and a transfer layer portion separated therefrom by a release layer and the dielectric layer and the electrically conductive layer or layers are part of the transfer layer portion.

28. A film element as set forth in claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer is of a layer thickness of less than 3μ

m.

29. A film element as set forth in claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer is formed by an adhesive layer.

30. A film element as set forth in claim 1, wherein the film element is of a layer thickness of less than 20μ

m.

31. A film element as set forth in claim 1, wherein the film element is in the form of a laminating film and the dielectric layer is of a layer thickness of between 12 and 42μ

m.

32. A process for the production of a multi-layer film element as set forth in claim 1, wherein the flexible dielectric layer is provided with the electrically conductive layer which is shaped in pattern form to form the two or more conductor structures, the dielectric layer is folded so that regions of the surface of the dielectric layer, that is not provided with the electrically conductive layer, face towards each other, and the mutually facing regions of the surface of the dielectric layer are connected together.