Patent Publication Number: US-7586417-B2

Title: RFID insert with disable feature and container that includes such an insert

Description:
The present disclosure relates to a molded plastic container having a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag molded into a wall of the container, and to an RFID insert for molding into a wall of a container. 
   BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
   It has been proposed to place an RFID tag on or in a wall of a container to confirm the genuineness of the package that includes the container and/or to provide other information concerning the package or a product within the package. Such RFID tag can be secured to a wall of the container after fabrication of the container, embedded in a wall of the container during blow molding of the container, or assembled to a container preform in such a way that the tag will be embedded in a wall of the container following blow molding of the preform. There is a desire to provide a means for disabling the RFID tag, which typically includes an RFID circuit and an antenna, to maintain the privacy of a customer, for example. When the customer purchases a package of medication, for example, the tag should be in place to confirm genuineness of the package and/or for other information purposes. However, after purchase, the customer may want to have the RFID tag removed, without opening the package, for privacy or other reasons. A general object of the present disclosure is to provide an RFID insert in which the RFID tag can be readily removed and/or to provide a container that includes such an RFID insert. 
   The present disclosure embodies a number of aspects that can be implemented separately from or in combination with each other. 
   An RFID insert, in accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, includes a housing of molded plastic construction and an RFID tag captured within the housing. A portion of the housing is permanently frangibly removable from the remainder of the housing to remove the RFID tag from within the housing and thereby disable RFID operation of the insert. The housing preferably includes a center portion connected to a ring-shaped periphery by a plurality of angularly spaced frangible bridges. The center portion of the housing may include a slot or pocket for engagement by a tool to twist the center portion with respect to the periphery and thereby facilitate rupture of the bridges, and/or may include indicia to identify presence of the RFID tag in the insert. 
   An RFID insert, in an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, and in accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, includes a base having a peripheral wall, a disk having a periphery internally engaged with the peripheral wall, and an RFID inlay, including an RFID tag, captured between the disk and the base. One of the disk and the base, preferably the disk, has a portion that is removable for removing the RFID inlay and thereby disabling the RFID insert. 
   A molded plastic container in accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure includes a container body having a base and an RFID insert molded into the container base. The ring-shaped periphery of the RFID insert housing preferably includes a wall that prevents flow of container material onto the center portion of the insert during the blow molding operation. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The disclosure, together with additional objects, features, advantages and aspects thereof, will best be understood from the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective sectional view of a plastic container in accordance with an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the RFID insert in the container of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective sectional view of the RFID insert in  FIG. 2 , being taken substantially along the line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a plan view of the RFID inlay in the RFID insert of  FIGS. 2 and 3 ; and 
       FIG. 5  is a sectional view of an RFID insert in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1  illustrates a container  20  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Container  20  includes a body  22  having an open end  24  and a container base  26 . Base  26  typically, although not necessarily, is at the opposite end of container body  22  from open end  24 , and typically although not necessarily is at the end of the container body on which the container body normally rests. Base  26  may be flat, concave or of any other suitable geometry. The geometry of container body  22  illustrated in  FIG. 1  is by way of example only. 
   An RFID insert  30  is molded into a wall of container  20 , preferably into base  26 . One embodiment of RFID insert  30  is illustrated in greater detail in  FIGS. 2-4  as including an RFID inlay  32  disposed within a plastic housing  34 . Plastic housing  34 , in the exemplary embodiment of  FIGS. 2-4 , includes a base  36  having a peripheral wall  38 , and a disk  40  having a periphery internally engaging peripheral wall  38 . RFID inlay  32  is captured between base  36  and disk  40 , and may include an RFID circuit or tag  42  coupled to an rf antenna  44  and deposited on a substrate  46 . It also is envisioned that the inlay could be composed only of circuit or tag  42  with a built-in antenna and without a substrate. As an alternative to the multi-piece housing  34 , housing  34  may be of one-piece plastic construction into which inlay  32  is insert molded. RFID insert  30  preferably has a plurality of fingers, prongs, lugs or other suitable features  48  ( FIG. 3 ) for attaching assembly  30  to a container preform as disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 11/595,059 prior to blow molding the preform into a container. The disclosure of such application is incorporated herein by reference. RFID insert  30  can be molded into container body  22  ( FIG. 1 ) in any other suitable manner. 
   In housing  34  illustrated in  FIGS. 2-4 , base  36  includes a ring-shaped periphery  50  and a center portion  52  disposed within periphery  50 . Center portion  52  is connected to periphery  50  by frangible means, preferably in the form of a plurality of angularly spaced frangible bridges  54  ( FIG. 2 ). Thus, with periphery  50  of base  36  and disk  40  of housing  34  permanently secured to container base wall  26 , center portion  52  can be permanently severed from periphery  50  by twisting center portion  52  and rupturing bridges  54 . (“Permanent” securement of periphery  50  and disk  40  to container body  22  means that these elements cannot be separated without substantial destruction to one or all elements.) To facilitate twisting of center portion  52  with respect to periphery  50 , a slot or pocket  56  ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ) maybe provided for insertion of a tool, such as a screwdriver or a coin, to twist center portion  52  while holding container body  22  to which periphery  50  is permanently secured. As also shown in  FIG. 2 , indicia  58 , such as “RFID,” preferably are provided on center portion  52  to identify to a user that the RFID capability is in place. Indicia  58  can be printed on or molded onto center portion  52 , for example. Housing  34  preferably has a circular peripheral geometry. However, the ring-shaped periphery could have a square or other non-circular geometry, for example, as long as the center portion can be flexed or moved with respect to the periphery to rupture the frangible bridges. The frangible bridges could be replaced by a circumferentially continuous frangible web. 
     FIG. 5  illustrates an RFID insert  60  in which RFID inlay  32  is insert molded into the center portion  62  of a molded plastic housing  64 . Housing  64 , including center portion  62  and a ring-shaped periphery  66 , is thus of one-piece integrally molded plastic construction in this embodiment. Center portion  62  is connected to the periphery  66  of housing  64  by means of a plurality of angularly spaced frangible bridges  54 . Periphery  66  also includes lugs, fingers or other suitable features  48  for molding assembly  60  into a wall of the container, preferably the base of the container as previously described. 
   Periphery  50  of base  36  ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ) and periphery  66  of housing  64  ( FIG. 5 ) preferably include an annular wall  70  that is positioned to engage the opposing face of a blow mold during blow molding of the preform, and thereby to prevent flow of container material into or onto the removable center portion of the housing, as best seen in  FIG. 1 . In the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, the RFID insert is disposed in a pocket that is formed around the insert during blow molding of the container body, as disclosed in the above-referenced application. However, the insert may be secured to the container in any manner as long as the periphery of the insert is permanently affixed to the container and the center portion of the insert is accessible by a user for removal and disablement of RFID operation. It is preferred that substantially only the removable center portion of the RFID assembly is visible on the wall of the container, preferably the container base. 
   There thus have been disclosed an RFID insert and a molded plastic container that includes such an insert that fully satisfy all of the objects and aims previously set forth. The disclosure has been presented in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, and additional modifications and variations have been discussed. Other modifications and variations readily will suggest themselves to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the foregoing description. For example, additional security features can be incorporated into the RFID insert and/or the container, such as microtaggents, chemical tracers, fluorescent agents or other features, overt and/or covert. The disclosure is intended to embrace all such modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.