Non-contact type IC card, antenna and antenna frame for IC card

• US 20020024475A1
• Filed: 08/28/2001
• Published: 02/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shinko Electric Industries Company Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Shinko Electric Industries Company Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Fujii, Tomoharu, Okamura, Shigeru
• Granted Patent: US 6,556,175 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/895
• 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: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• 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

An antenna for a non-contact type IC card is provided.

A plane coil is formed by punching or etching a thin metal plate in such a manner that a conductor line is wound several times on substantially the same surface. The plane coil has respective terminals at innermost and outermost ends. The innermost terminal is provided with accommodation hole, in which a semiconductor element having electrode terminals is arranged. A circuit film comprises an insulating resin film and a circuit pattern formed on the insulating resin film. The circuit pattern electrically connects the electrode terminals of the semiconductor element to the terminals of the plane coil, respectively. At least one projection is integrally formed with the conductor and extending therefrom inwardly or outwardly so as not to contact an adjacent loop of the conductor line. The projection is located at any desired position to be used as a suction pad, an alignment mark or a positioning guide when said plane coil is sucked or positioned.

Claims

1. An antenna for non-contact type IC card, said antenna comprising:

a plane coil formed by punching or etching a thin metal plate in such a manner that a conductor line is wound several times on substantially the same surface; and

at least one projection integrally formed with said conductor and extending therefrom inwardly or outwardly so as not to contact an adjacent loop of said conductor line, said projection being located at any desired position and used as a suction pad, an alignment mark or a positioning guide when said plane coil is sucked or positioned.

2. An antenna, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said projection is located at an outermost loop of conductor or an innermost loop of conductor of said plane coil.

3. An antenna, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said projection located at the outermost loop of conductor or the innermost loop of conductor extends outwardly or inwardly, respectively.

4. An antenna, as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of said projections is provided with a guide hole into which a guide pin can be inserted when a positioning operation of said plane coil is carried out using said guide hole.

5. An antenna, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plane coil has a substantially rectangular shape having four corners, and said at least one projection is located at an outermost loop of conductor or an innermost loop of conductor at one of said four corners or in the vicinity of said one corner.

6. An antenna, as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a resin which is charged in spaces between said adjacent loops of conductor so as not to protrude upward or downward from upper and lower surfaces of the plane coil, respectively, so that said spaces are maintained as a predetermined distance.

7. An antenna for non-contact type IC card, said antenna comprising:

a plane coil formed by punching or etching a thin metal plate in such a manner that a conductor line is wound several times on substantially the same surface, said plane coil having respective terminals at innermost and outermost ends, said innermost terminal being provided with accommodation terminals and arranged in said accommodation hole;

a semiconductor element having electrode terminals and arranged in said accommodation hole;

a circuit film comprising an insulating resin film and a circuit pattern formed on said insulating resin film, said circuit pattern electrically connecting said electrode terminals of the semiconductor element to said terminals of the plane coil; and

at least one projection integrally formed with said conductor and extending therefrom inwardly or outwardly so as not to contact with an adjacent loop of said conductor line, said projection being located at any desired position to be used as a suction pad, an alignment mark or a positioning guide when said plane coil is sucked or positioned.

8. An antenna, as set forth in claim 7, wherein said projection is located at an outermost loop of conductor or an innermost loop of conductor of said plane coil.

9. An antenna, as set forth in claim 8, wherein said projection located at the outermost loop of conductor or the innermost loop of conductor extends outwardly or inwardly, respectively.

10. An antenna, as set forth in claim 7, wherein at least one of said projections is provided with a guide hole into which a guide pin can be inserted when a positioning operation of said plane coil is carried out using said guide hole.

11. An antenna, as set forth in claim 7, wherein said plane coil has a substantially rectangular shape having four corners, and said at least one projection is located at an outermost loop of conductor or an innermost loop of conductor at one of said four corners or in the vicinity of said one corner.

12. An antenna, as set forth in claim 7, further comprising a resin which is filled in spaces between said adjacent loops of conductor so as not to protrude upward or downward from upper and lower surfaces of the plane coil, respectively, so that said spaces are maintained at a predetermined distance.

13. An antenna frame for a non-contact type IC card, said antenna comprising:

a plurality of plane coils formed by punching or etching a thin metal plate in such a manner that said plurality of plane coils longitudinally and continuously arranged at a predetermined interval, each plane coil comprising a conductor line wound several times on a substantially same surface;

a frame member partially, integrally connected to said plurality of plane coils so as to hold the latter;

each of said plane coils comprising at least one projection integrally formed with said conductor and extending therefrom inwardly or outwardly so as not to contact an adjacent loop of said conductor line, said projection being located at any desired position to be used as a suction pad, an alignment mark or a positioning guide when said plane coil is sucked or positioned.

14. A non-contact type IC card comprising:

a plane coil formed by punching or etching a thin metal plate in such a manner that a conductor line is wound several times on substantially the same surface; and

at least one projection integrally formed with said conductor; and

extending therefrom inwardly or outwardly so as not to contact with an adjacent loop of said conductor line, said projection being located at any desired position to be used as a suction pad, an alignment mark or a positioning guide when said plane coil is sucked or positioned.

15. A non-contact type IC card comprising:

a plane coil formed by punching or etching a thin metal plate in such a manner that a conductor line is wound several times on substantially the same surface, said plane coil having respective terminals at innermost and outermost ends, said innermost terminal is provided with accommodation hole;

a semiconductor element having electrode terminals and arranged in said accommodation hole;

a circuit film comprising an insulating resin film and a circuit pattern formed on said insulating resin film, said circuit pattern electrically connecting said electrode terminals of the semiconductor element to said terminals of the plane coil;

at least one projection integrally formed with said conductor and extending therefrom inwardly or outwardly so as not to contact an adjacent loop of said conductor line, said projection being located at any desired position to be used as a suction pad, an alignment mark or a positioning guide when said plane coil is sucked or positioned; and

a pair of external films between which said plane coil is disposed together with said semiconductor element and said circuit film.