Multilayer film element

• US 8,830,138 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2010
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leonhard KURZ Stiftung & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Leonhard KURZ Stiftung & Company KG
• Inventors: Peters, John Anthony, Schumacher, Christian, Schindler, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US13/143,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20120001823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,709 Days
• Field of Search: 343/867, 343/742, 343/700.MS, 343/824, 343/853, 343/895
• US Class Current: 343/867
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07722 the record carrier being multilayered, e.g. laminated sheets flat articles in general, see B32B37/00
• 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 19/07779 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: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop

Abstract

A multilayer film element and a method for producing the same. The multilayer film element includes a flexible dielectric carrier layer having a layer thickness of less than 800 μm and has a first electrically conductive layer, in which a first coil-shaped conductor track is shaped in a first region of the film element, and a second electrically conductive layer, in which a second coil-shaped conductor track is shaped in the first region. The dielectric carrier layer is arranged between the first and second electrically conductive layers, and the first and second conductor tracks overlap at least in regions and are coupled to one another to form an antenna structure.

Claims

1. A multilayer film element comprising a flexible dielectric carrier layer having a layer thickness of less than 800 μ

m, comprising a first electrically conductive layer, in which a first coil-shaped conductor track is shaped in a first region of the film element, comprising a second electrically conductive layer, in which a second coil-shaped conductor track is shaped in the first region, wherein the dielectric carrier layer is arranged between the first and second electrically conductive layers and the first and second conductor tracks overlap at least in regions and are coupled to one another to form an antenna structure, and wherein a first conductor track section comprising at least a three-quarter turn of the first coil-shaped conductor track overlaps at least in regions a second conductor track section comprising at least a three-quarter turn of the second coil-shaped conductor track with respect to a direction perpendicular to the plane spanned by the carrier layer, wherein, in a region comprising t turns of the first conductor track section, the first conductor track section in each case at least partly overlaps at least two partial sections of the second conductor track section, wherein the two partial sections are assigned to different turns of the second coil-shaped conductor track and t≧

¼

.

2. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first conductor track section overlaps at least in regions the second conductor track section with respect to a direction perpendicular to the plane spanned by the carrier layer in such a way that the area dimension of the overlap area of the first and second conductor track sections upon displacement of the first coil-shaped conductor track in a first direction, lying in the plane spanned by the carrier layer, by 100 μ

m remains constant.

3. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein in said region, the distance between the two partial sections of the second conductor track section is less than the width of the first conductor track section by at least the value r and, in said region, the sum of the widths of the two partial sections and the distance between the partial sections is greater than the width of the first conductor track section by at least the value r, where r≧

100 μ

m and the width of each of the partial sections is ≧

r.

4. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, in a region comprising t turns of the first conductor track section, the first conductor track section completely overlaps the second conductor track section and in this region along the first conductor track section in at least one first direction, lying in the plane spanned by the carrier layer, the extent of the second conductor track is less than the extent of the first conductor track by the value r, where t≧

¼ and

r≧

100 μ

m.

5. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 4, wherein along the first conductor track section in a second direction, lying in the plane spanned by the carrier layer, the extent of the second conductor track is at least 50 μ

m less than the extent of the first conductor track, wherein the first and second directions form a right angle.

6. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 4, wherein, along the first conductor track section in the second direction, the extent of the second conductor track is between 200 and 400 μ

m less than the extent of the first conductor track.

7. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 4, wherein, along the first conductor track section, the difference in the extent of the first and second conductor tracks in the first direction is greater than 20%, than the difference in the extent of the first and second conductor tracks in the second direction.

8. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first conductor track section completely overlaps the second conductor track section with respect to the direct ion perpendicular to the plane spanned by the carrier layer and, along the first conductor track section in the first direction, the extent of the second conductor track is less than the extent of the first conductor track by at least 100 μ

m.

9. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in a region comprising t turns of the first conductor track section, along the first conductor track section, the first and second conductor track sections partly overlap, the external diameters of the respective turn of the first coil-shaped conductor track and of the second coil-shaped conductor track in at least one first direction, lying in the plane spanned by the carrier layer, differ by the value r and the widths of the first coil-shaped conductor track and of the second coil-shaped conductor track are in each case greater than twice the value r, where t≧

¼ and

r≧

100 μ

m.

10. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 9, wherein the width of the coil-shaped conductor track having the larger external diameter of the respective turn is less than or equal to the width of the coil-shaped conductor track having the smaller external diameter of the respective turn.

11. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein t is chosen from the range ¾

to 1.

12. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein t≧

¾

.

13. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein r is ≧

400 μ

m.

14. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein r≦

400 μ

m.

15. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first coil-shaped conductor track and the second coil-shaped conductor track have the same turns direction.

16. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and/or second coil-shaped conductor track are/is substructured in the first conductor track section and/or in the second conductor track section, and are/is substructured in zigzag fashion or in wavy-line-shaped fashion.

17. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first and/or second conductor track are/is substructured in the first conductor track section and/or in the second conductor track section in accordance with a periodic substructuring function, wherein the period of the substructuring function is less than 5 mm.

18. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first conductor track has a third conductor track section, which adjoins the first conductor track section, and the conductor track width of the third conductor track section is less than the conductor track width of the first conductor track section.

19. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 18, wherein the conductor track width of the third conductor track section is less than the conductor track width of the first conductor track section by at least 100 μ

m.

20. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 18, wherein the third conductor track section comprises at least one turn of the first coil-shaped conductor track.

21. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 18, wherein the third conductor track section, with respect to the coil-shaped embodiment of the first conductor track as inner conductor track section, is adjacent to the first conductor track section.

22. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 18, wherein the first conductor track section comprises the outermost three-quarter turn of the first coil-shaped conductor track.

23. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 18, wherein the conductor track width of the third conductor track section is between 10 and 50% of the conductor track width of the first conductor track section.

24. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first conductor track section has a conductor track width of 0.5 to 5 mm.

25. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein, along the first conductor track section in the first direction, the extent of the second conductor track is between 200 and 400 μ

m less than the extent of the first conductor track.

26. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first direction is the longitudinal direction of the carrier layer.

27. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second electrically conductive layers have a layer thickness of between 1 and 18.

28. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second electrically conductive layers are structured by means of a printing method.

29. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the layer thickness of the first and/or of the second electrically conductive layer is not constant.

30. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second conductor tracks are connected to one another via at least one electrically conductive plated-through hole through the carrier layer.

31. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second conductor tracks are capacitively and/or inductively coupled to one another.

32. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and/or second conductor track in each case have/has between one and four turns, preferably between two and three turns.

33. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first and a second electrode area are formed in the first and/or in the second electrically conductive layer, said electrode areas in each case being electrically connected to the first and/or second conductor track.

34. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 33, wherein a first and a second electrode area are formed both in the first and in the second electrically conductive layer, wherein the first electrode areas at least partly overlap and are connected to one another via an electrically conductive plated-through hole, and the second electrode areas at least partly overlap and are connected to one another via an electrically conductive plated-through hole.

35. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 33, wherein the first electrode area is connected to the first conductor track and the second electrode area is connected to the second conductor track.

36. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 33, wherein a third conductor track is shaped in the first and/or the second electrically conductive layer, said third conductor track being connected to the first or second electrode area and being capacitively and/or inductively coupled to the first and/or second conductor track.

37. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 36, wherein the third conductor track extends over at least 40% of the width of the multilayer film element.

38. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 33, wherein the multilayer film element has an electrical circuit, which is electrically connected to the first and second electrode areas.

39. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 33, wherein the first and second electrode areas in each case have a size of in each case at least 2 mm².

40. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 33, wherein the electrode areas are arranged in a corner of the film element.

41. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the film element has a card-type shaping.

42. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carrier layer has a layer thickness of between 250 μ

m and 12 μ

m.

43. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second electrically conductive layers are applied on opposite surfaces of the carrier layer.

44. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carrier layer has a plastic film and a decorative layer.

45. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 44, wherein the decorative layer in conjunction with the first and/or second electrically conductive layer provides an optically variable security element.

46. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein a decorative layer is arranged between the first and second conductor tracks and/or on that side of the first and/or second conductor track which is remote from the carrier layer.

47. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 46, wherein the decorative layer is a layer having a microscopic or macroscopic surface relief having a diffractive optical effect or a surface relief in the form of lens structures, matt structures or blazed grating, a thin-film layer system, a liquid crystal layer or a layer comprising optically active pigments, and the decorative layer is arranged in the film element in such a way that it at least partly overlaps the first and/or second conductor track.

48. The multilayer film element as claimed in claim 1, wherein a relief structure that generates an optically variable effect is impressed into the first and/or second conductor track.

49. A method for producing a multilayer film element comprising the following steps:

providing a flexible dielectric carrier layer having a layer thickness of less than 800 μ

m;

applying a first electrically conductive layer, in which a first coil-shaped conductor track having a first conductor track section comprising at least a three-quarter turn of the coil-shaped first conductor track is shaped in a first region of the film element, to a first surface of the carrier layer; and

applying a second electrically conductive layer, in which a second coil-shaped conductor track having a second conductor track section comprising at least a three-quarter turn of the second coil-shaped conductor track is shaped in the first region, to a second surface of the carrier layer, said second surface lying opposite the first surface, in such a way that the first and second conductor tracks overlap at least in regions and are coupled to one another to form an antenna structure, wherein, in a region comprising t turns of the first conductor track section, the first conductor track section in each case at least partly overlaps at least two partial sections of the second conductor track section, wherein the two partial sections are assigned to different turns of the second coil-shaped conductor track and t≧

¼

.

50. The method for producing a multilayer film element as claimed in claim 49, wherein the first conductor track section overlaps at least in regions the second conductor track section with respect to a direction perpendicular to the plane spanned by the carrier layer in such a way that the area dimension of the overlap area of the first and second conductor track sections upon displacement of the first coil-shaped conductor track in a first direction, lying in the plane spanned by the carrier layer, by 100 μ

m remains constant.

51. The method for producing a multilayer film element as claimed in claim 49, wherein for applying the first and/or second electrically conductive layer, in a first step, an electrically conductive base layer structured by means of a printing method is applied and a galvanic reinforcement layer is then applied to the base layer, wherein the base layer and the galvanic reinforcement layer consist of different materials.

52. The method for producing a multilayer film element as claimed in claim 51, wherein the base layer is applied to the carrier layer by means of a printing method.

53. The method for producing a multilayer film element as claimed in claim 52, wherein the base layers are printed onto the opposite surfaces of the carrier layer by means of two printing units synchronized with one another.