METHOD OF ASSEMBLY OF ARTICLES AND INTERMEDIATE CREATED THEREBY

Abstract

Articles on flexible webs with different pitches are assembled together by displacing portions between articles of one web out of plane to move the articles on that web to the same pitch as the other web, aligning the two webs to register corresponding articles on the two webs, and assembling the corresponding articles together. The assembly may be used for example in the making of RFID tags, labels and inlays.

Claims

1. An intermediate product formed by a process comprising the steps of: selecting a first planar substrate with a plurality of first articles disposed on the first planar substrate at a first spacing; selecting a second planar substrate with a plurality of second articles disposed on the second planar substrate at a second spacing; displacing portions of the first planar substrate in a direction transverse to the machine direction to draw the first spacing to the second spacing; and attaching the first article to the second article.

2. The product of claim 1, wherein the first articles are RFID antennas and the second articles are RFID straps or chips.

3. The product of claim 1, wherein the first articles are RFID transponders and the second articles are hang tags.

4. The product of claim 1, wherein the first articles are labels and the second articles are RFID transponders.

5. The product of claim 1, wherein the first and second flexible substrate are constructed with one of paper, plastic, or foil.

6. The product of claim 1, wherein the step of displacing portions of the first substrate in a direction transverse to the machine direction comprises applying positive or negative pressure to the portions of the first substrate through a vacuum, suction, or mechanical force.

7. The product of claim 1, wherein the step of displacing portions of the first substrate in a direction transverse to the machine direction comprises rolling the first planar substrate around a toothed roller.

8. The product of claim 1, wherein the step of attaching the first article to the second article further comprises one or more of steps of applying pressure, applying heat, soldering, and welding.

9. An intermediate RFID web assembly, the assembly comprising: a first substrate; a second substrate; RFID transponders simultaneously attached to the first substrate at a first spacing, and a second substrate at a second spacing; and wherein the first spacing is different than the second spacing.

10. The web assembly of claim 9, wherein the RFID transponder consists of (i) an antenna, (ii) a strap, chip or transponder, and (iii) an attachment between (i) and (ii).

11. The web assembly of claim 10, wherein the attachment consists of adhesive, weld, solder, or direct attachment.

12. The web assembly of claim 10, wherein the RFID transponders further comprises an additional RFID component.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] These, as well as other objects and advantages of this invention, will be more completely understood and appreciated by referring to the following more detailed description of the presently preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, of which:

[0016] FIG. 1(a)-(b) is a schematic front view of webs with articles as may be utilized with the method of the present disclosure;

[0017] FIG. 2(a)-(b) is a side view of one the webs with articles of FIG. 1 before and after processed by the method of the present disclosure;

[0018] FIG. 3(a)-(b) is a side view of the webs with articles of FIG. 1 being assembled in accordance with the method of the present disclosure; and

[0019] FIG. 4(a)-(b) illustrate different embodiments of practicing the method of the present disclosure; and

[0020] FIG. 5 provides a block diagram for an exemplary assembly method for high speed assembly of articles arranged in linear arrays that have different dimensions and/or pitch.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Referring to FIG. 1, a typical web 100 with antenna elements 110 for RFID devices is illustrated in FIG. 1(a), and a typical web 120 with, e.g., straps 130 is illustrated in FIG. 1(b). As clearly shown, and as discussed previously, the antennas 110 and straps 130 are spaced with a different pitch on their respective webs 100, 120. In accordance with the present disclosure, in order to match every single strap 130 on the web in order with a corresponding antenna 110, the web with the greater pitch between the articles disposed thereon—is intermittently displaced along its length and out of its normal plane or direction of machine travel such that the antenna elements disposed thereon are brought physical closer to each other until they are disposed with a pitch there between that is sufficiently equal to the pitch of the straps web 120 to allow assembly of antenna-strap pairs. In this exemplary embodiment, the antenna web 100 has the greatest pitch.

[0022] This concept is best illustrated in FIG. 2, which depicts a side view of antenna web 100. If it can be said, for purposes of discussion, that the antenna web lies in a plane defined by x- and y-axes with the antennas 110 extending linearly along the x-axis, in a machine direction, then FIG. 2(a) depicts the antenna web as it extends along the x- and z-axes, looking along the y-axis. As depicted in FIG. 2(b), in accordance with the present disclosure, the antenna web 100 is displaced between the antenna elements 110 prior to assembly so that the portions of the antenna web lying between adjacent antenna elements are extended along the z-axis, thereby drawing adjacent antenna elements closer to each other.

[0023] As illustrated in FIG. 3(a), displacing the antenna web 100 along the z-axis as described allows matching the pitch of the antenna elements 110 to match the pitch of the straps 130 as they are disposed on the undistorted strap web 120. That is, the strap web or first element web remains in the first plane or y axis in a machine direction and portions are not displaced out of alignment from this plane, the web remains in its machine direction position. This in turn, and as depicted in FIG. 3(b), allows corresponding antennas and straps on the two respective webs 100, 120 to be easily and simply registered, contacted (such as with adhesive 310) and optionally heat and/or pressure treated with an appropriate device 320. Additional methods of assembly may include soldering, and welding, the straps and the antennas to one another.

[0024] Displacing the antenna web 100 along the z-axis as disclosed herein may be accomplished by any practicable means, at least some of which will be immediately obvious to the skilled person, and the method of displacement is in no way a limit upon the scope of the presently claimed invention. For purposes of illustration only and with reference to FIG. 4(a), one possible method is to apply a vacuum or suction force 400 to the portions of the web lying between adjacent articles disposed thereon, because as known in the art, the webs are typically formed of a flexible material, such as plastic, paper, foils and the like. In another illustrative, non-limiting embodiment depicted in FIG. 4(b) (not drawn to scale), a mechanical force such as applied by a toothed wheel 420 may be impinged onto the portions of the web lying between adjacent articles disposed thereon to force them to extend (i.e. fold) into the z-axis dimension. Alternatively, a blast of air or gas could be impinged onto the web, in a method essentially opposite to that of FIG. 4(a). In addition, stepper motors, dancer bars and the like may be used to create the displacement in the web.

[0025] Following registering and assembly of each antenna and strap pair, the strap web 120 may be cut between each strap to thereby allow expanding the distorted portions of the antenna web 100 and thereby returning the antenna web to a planar configuration for subsequent processing steps.

[0026] FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary method of articles arranged in linear arrays. A first flexible planar substrate is selected with a plurality of first articles disposed in a linear array thereon with a first spacing between adjacent first articles at step 200. A second planar substrate is then selected with a plurality of second articles disposed in a linear array thereon with a second spacing between adjacent second articles that is shorter than the first spacing at step 210. Third, displacing portions of the first substrate between adjacent first elements (e.g. antenna) of the plane of the first substrate to thereby draw adjacent first elements closer to one another at step 220. Fourth, the first and second substrates are aligned so that each first article or element is disposed in succession adjacent a corresponding second article (strap, transponder, chip or second element) in succession 230. Lastly, the first article is assembled corresponding to the second article 240.

[0027] It is important to understand that the present invention is not limited to antenna and strap elements for RFID devices, which were discussed for ease of illustration only. Rather, the method of the present invention may be applied to any assembly process that entails assembling articles disposed on flexible substrates at a different pitch on each respective web. As will be appreciated by the skilled reader, the method of the present invention allows the design and use of simpler and thereby more cost effective and robust assembly machines, and higher assembly speeds. In addition, the process of the present invention could also be used in the assembly of finished RFID tags, such as apparel hang tags and labels. For example, a web of RFID inlays can have a first pitch and a web of material to form apparel hang tags has a second pitch. The RFID inlay web may go through the displacement so as to align with the material to form the finished RFID tags.

[0028] Having now described the invention in accordance with the requirements of the patent statutes, those skilled in this art will understand how to make changes and modifications to the present invention to meet their specific requirements or conditions. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed herein.

[0029] The foregoing Detailed Description of exemplary and preferred embodiments is presented for purposes of illustration and disclosure in accordance with the requirements of the law. It is not intended to be exhaustive nor to limit the invention to the precise form(s) described, but only to enable others skilled in the art to understand how the invention may be suited for a particular use or implementation. The possibility of modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. No limitation is intended by the description of exemplary embodiments which may have included tolerances, feature dimensions, specific operating conditions, engineering specifications, or the like, and which may vary between implementations or with changes to the state of the art, and no limitation should be implied therefrom. Applicant has made this disclosure with respect to the current state of the art, but also contemplates advancements and that adaptations in the future may take into consideration of those advancements, namely in accordance with the then current state of the art. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims as written and equivalents as applicable. Reference to a claim element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated. Moreover, no element, component, nor method or process step in this disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or step is explicitly recited in the Claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. Sec. 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for . . . ” and no method or process step herein is to be construed under those provisions unless the step, or steps, are expressly recited using the phrase “comprising the step(s) of . . . .”