Abstract:
Disclosed is an RFID tag comprising a textile design tag ( 4 ), on the rear face ( 6 ) of which a transponder is arranged that is provided with a chip ( 14 ) comprising an antenna ( 12 ). In order to create a simplified and thinner RFID tag, the antenna ( 12 ) is incorporated into or is applied to a support layer ( 10 ) and is connected to the chip ( 14 ) in the form of a transponder tag ( 8 ) which is connected directly to the design tag ( 4 ).

Description:
[0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of PCT/CH2007/00025 1 filed on May 16, 2007 designating the U.S. and claiming priority from CH 1194/06 filed on Jul. 24, 2006, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The invention relates to an RFID tag and a method and a corresponding device for the production of the RFID tag. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    WO02093524 A has disclosed an RFID tag in which a complete transponder comprising an antenna arranged on a carrier and having a connected chip is first transferred to a carrier layer, which is then connected to a design tag, the latter reaching over the carrier layer in the manner of a hem. Since the transponder is present as a unit, it forms its own layer and thus leads to a three-layer and therefore relatively thick and rigid RFID tag. Such RFID tags are relatively complicated and not very flexible and, when used in items of clothing, form undesired discontinuities, which impair the wearing comfort. 
         [0004]    WO9429503 discloses a further RFID tag in which the design tag comprises two layers which form pockets, into which transponders are inserted. This multi-layer RFID tag is not only difficult to produce but also relatively thick and rigid and thus exhibits the same undesired properties as the RFID tag described above. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The object of the invention is to improve an RFID tag of the type mentioned at the beginning and to specify a method and a device for the production thereof. 
         [0006]    According to a first aspect of the invention, the object is achieved by: 
         [0007]    A RFID tag having a textile design tag, on the rear side of which textile design tag there is arranged a transponder. The transponder has a chip provided with an antenna. The said antenna is incorporated into a textile carrier layer or applied to a textile carrier layer and is connected to the chip in the form of a transponder tag. The transponder tag is connected directly to said design tag. 
         [0008]    The fact that the antenna is incorporated into or applied to the carrier layer means that the chip is also arranged directly on the carrier layer and connected to the antenna and thus forms a transponder tag which is connected directly to the design tag. There is thus an RFID tag that has only two layers, which is much thinner and shows much less than the known three-layer RFID tags. This improves the flexibility of the RFID tag and therefore its handling and wearing comfort. 
         [0009]    It is particularly advantageous if the antenna is arranged in the form of a meander or zigzag, which means in particular that knitting or weaving the antenna into a knitted or woven carrier layer is possible. If appropriate, such an antenna can however also be printed or vapor-deposited onto a carrier layer. The antenna can be arranged in the manner of a coil. Preference is given to the formation of the transponder with an RFID chip. If appropriate, the RFID tag can also contain a transponder which has an HF or UHF chip. The configuration of an RFID tag is particularly advantageous, the carrier layer being knitted or woven, so that the antenna can be knitted in or woven in. 
         [0010]    The transponder tag can contain a hot-melt adhesive thread, by means of which it is connected to the design tag. The transponder tag and the design tag can be adhesively bonded to each other, at least around the chip, or can be welded. A particularly permanent and stable RFID tag results if the transponder tag is laminated onto the design tag. On the side facing away from the design tag, the transponder tag can be provided with word and/or image symbols. 
         [0011]    According to a second aspect of the invention in a method for the production of the RFID tags, the design tag being fed as a design tag strip and the transponder tag being fed as a transponder tag strip to a connecting station. Before the connection, a transponder tag is separated from the transponder tag strip, its length corresponding at most to the length of the RFID tag to be produced. The section is then connected to the design tag strip, at least in the region of the leading edge. The RFID tag prepared in this way is then cut off to the desired length of the RFID tag at a cutting station. 
         [0012]    A particularly simple method results if the transponder tag strip or the transponder tag is fed to the connecting station at an angle α with respect to the design tag strip and is connected to the design tag strip in the region of the leading edge of the transponder tag. 
         [0013]    If a section to be connected to the design tag strip is separated from the transponder tag strip and is applied to the design tag strip and connected by means of a heated press plunger, such a connection can be made at least on two mutually opposite sides or else on all sides. The transponder tag can be connected to the design tag strip by means of adhesive bonding. Such a connection can also be made by fusing, for example by means of ultrasonics or lasers. 
         [0014]    According to a third aspect of the invention, a device for implementing the method being distinguished by:
       a first feeder for a design tag strip,   a second feeder for a transponder tag strip, having a first separating station for separating a transponder tag,   a connecting station for connecting the transponder tag to the design tag strip,   a second separating station for separating the RFID tag.       
 
         [0019]    The device can have means for repeat monitoring, which then serve to control the device. There can also be monitoring means for the transponder, which check the serviceability of the transponder. 
         [0020]    Particularly expedient is the refinement according to which there are means for ejecting defective RFID tags on the second separating device. In this case the ejection means can have a nozzle device arranged under the separating station, which produces an air stream directed laterally outward, which separates out a defective RFID tag directly laterally following separation. The device can have welding means at the connecting station in order to connect the strip sections. The first feeder and the second feeder are constructed in such a way that the strips meet each other at an angle α at the connecting station, the latter having a press plunger for pressing together the parts of the strip lying one above the other. The press plunger and/or a base support at the connecting station can be equipped with heating means in order to effect the welding or adhesive bonding. Also particularly advantageous is a refinement of the device according to which there is at the connecting station a press plunger which has a hollow space to accommodate at least one chip and also edge sections bounding the hollow space on at least two mutually opposite sides, which are used to connect the transponder tag to the design tag section. Expediently the device is equipped at the second separating station with a stacking device to accommodate the RFID tags produced. 
         [0021]    The aforementioned elements and also those claimed and described in the following exemplary embodiments and to be used according to the invention are not subject to any specific exceptional conditions in terms of their size, shape, use of materials and their technical conception, so that they can be applied in the respective area of application unrestricted by any selection criteria. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0022]    Further details, advantages and features of the subject of the present invention emerge from the following description of the associated drawings, in which: 
           [0023]      FIG. 1  shows a first RFID tag with design tag and transponder tag with a meander-like antenna in plan view; 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  shows the RFID tag from  FIG. 1  in the section I-I from  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  shows a transponder tag having a coil-like antenna in plan view; 
           [0026]      FIG. 4  shows the transponder tag from  FIG. 3  in the section III-III from  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 5  shows a device for the production of an RFID tag in a schematic, partly sectioned side view; 
           [0028]      FIG. 6  shows the device according to  FIG. 5  during the connection of the transponder tag to the design tag; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 7  shows a further device for the production of an RFID tag. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0030]      FIGS. 1 and 2  show an RFID tag  2  which has a design tag  4 , on the rear side  6  of which there is arranged a transponder tag  8 . This transponder tag  8  has a carrier layer  10 , in which an antenna  12  is arranged in the form of a meander. A chip  14  has lugs  16 , by means of which the chip is connected to antenna sections  18 ,  20 . The antenna sections  18 ,  20  are provided on a short-circuit bridge  22  having an interruption  24 . The transponder tag  8  is somewhat shorter than the design tag  4  and, for example, is adhesively bonded or welded to the design tag at a connecting point  26  in the region of the leading edge of the transponder tag. 
         [0031]      FIGS. 3 and 4  show a further transponder tag  28 , which has a carrier layer  30  on which an antenna  32  is arranged in the manner of a coil, the ends  34 ,  36  of which are connected to terminals  38 ,  40  of a chip  42 . Such a transponder tag  28  can also be connected to a design tag of the type described in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         [0032]    The transponder tags shown in  FIGS. 1 to 4  have a carrier layer made of a textile two-dimensional structure, which is preferably woven or knitted. The antenna is advantageously incorporated in the two-dimensional structure in the course of the production of the latter, which means it is woven in or knitted in, which is preferred in particular in the embodiment according to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . If appropriate, the antenna can also be applied after the production of the two-dimensional structure, for example by sticking on or pressing on, which is the case in particular in the case of the transponder tag according to  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
         [0033]      FIGS. 5 and 6  show a device and a method for the production of an RFID tag  2  according to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The device contains a first feeder  44 , in which a design tag strip  46  from a supply roll  48  is fed by means of a transport wheel  50  over a support  52  to a connecting station  54 . The first feeder  44  is further equipped with a repeat sensor  56 , which he responds to marks on the design tag strip  46  in order to determine the feed length of the design tag strip  46  to the connecting station  54 . 
         [0034]    The device contains a second feeder  58  for a transponder tag strip  60 , which is drawn off a supply roll  62  by means of a transport wheel  64  and is likewise fed longitudinally to a support  66  of the connecting station  54 . The support  66  is inclined at an angle a with respect to the support  52  of the first feeder  44 , so that the transponder tag strip  60  is fed to the connecting station  54  in the desired position. The second feeder  58  likewise contains a repeat sensor  68 , which responds to marks on the transponder tag strip  60  and controls the feed length. Furthermore, there is a transponder monitor  70 , which checks the transponder tags for serviceability. Furthermore, the second feeder  58  is equipped with a second separating station  52 , which separates a transponder tag  8  from the transponder tag strip  60  at the desired length. 
         [0035]    The connecting station  54  contains a base support  54  having a heater  76  and a press plunger  78  which can be fed in and which can likewise be fitted with a heater, not specifically illustrated. The press plunger presses the transponder tag  8  in the region of its leading edge against the design tag strip  46  and forms the connecting point  26 , for example by a hot melt adhesive in one of the two layers being activated by the heating device  76 . Arranged downstream of the connecting station  54  is a second separating station  80  which, for example, uses a separating knife  82  moving up and down to separate RFID tags  2  from the design tag strip  46  at the desired length, these being deposited in a stacking device  84 . A press plate  86  moving up and down assists the stacking operation. 
         [0036]    The device is also equipped with ejection means, arranged downstream of the second separating station  80 , for ejecting defective RFID tags  2   a.  The ejection means contain a nozzle device  90  which is arranged under the second separating station  80  and which generates an air stream  92  directed laterally outward, if, for example, the transponder monitor  70  indicates a faulty tag  2   a.  The latter is then blown out laterally before being deposited in the stacking device  84 . 
         [0037]      FIG. 7  shows a further device for the production of RFID tags  2   b  from a design tag  4  and a transponder tag  8 , which is constructed in a similar way to the device of  FIGS. 5 and 6 , meaning that identical parts are provided with identical designations. By means of transport wheels  50 , the first feeder  44  transports the design tag strip  46  first to a connecting station  54   a  and then onward along a transponder monitor  70   a  to a second separating station  80 , in which finished RFID tags  2   b  are separated by means of the separating knife  82  and fed to the stacking device  84 . The second feeder  58  conveys the transponder tag strip  60  to the connecting station  54   a.  In this exemplary embodiment, the connecting station  54   a  is equipped with a press plunger  94  which has a hollow space  96  to accommodate at least one chip  14 . The hollow space  96  is bounded on at least two mutually opposite sides by edge sections  98  and  100 , which on the one hand are used to separate a transponder tag  8  from the transponder tag strip  60  and on the other hand to connect the transponder tag  8  to the design tag strip  46 . For this purpose, the press plunger  94  and/or the base support  102  are provided with a heating device, not shown in more detail, in order to activate fusible parts of the design tag strip  46  and/or the transponder tag  8  and to form the connecting points  104 ,  106 . 
         [0038]    In a way analogous to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the second device of  FIG. 7  can be equipped with corresponding repeat sensors in order to control the device. In addition, there can be ejection means for ejecting damaged RFID tags, in a way analogous to the exemplary embodiment of  FIGS. 5 and 6 . 
       List of Designations 
       [0000]    
       
           2  RFID tag 
           2   a  RFID tag 
           2   b  RFID tag 
           4  Design tag 
           6  Rear side 
           8  Transponder tag 
           10  Carrier layer 
           12  Antenna 
           14  Chip 
           16  Lug 
           18  Antenna section 
           20  Antenna section 
           22  Short-circuit bridge 
           24  Interruption 
           26  Connecting point 
           28  Transponder tag 
           30  Carrier layer 
           32  Antenna 
           34  End of  32   
           36  End of  32   
           38  Terminal 
           40  Terminal 
           42  Chip 
           44  First feeder 
           46  Design tag strip 
           48  Supply roll 
           50  Transport wheel 
           52  Support 
           54  Connecting station 
           54   a  Connecting station 
           56  Repeat sensor 
           58  Second feeder 
           60  Transponder tag strip 
           62  Supply roll 
           64  Transport wheel 
           66  Support 
           68  Repeat sensor 
           70  Transponder monitor 
           70   a  Transponder monitor 
           72  First separating station 
           74  Base support 
           76  Heater 
           78  Press plunger 
           80  Second separating station 
           82  Separating knife 
           84  Stacking device 
           86  Press plate 
           90  Nozzle device 
           92  Air stream 
           94  Press plunger 
           96  Hollow space 
           98  Edge section 
           100  Edge section 
           102  Base support 
           104  Connecting point 
           106  Connecting point