METHOD AND DEVICE FOR FITTING A LICENSE PLATE, PREFERABLY A MOTOR VEHICLE LICENSE PLATE, WITH A DATA CARRIER, AND LICENSE PLATE

Abstract

A method and a device with which a license plate can be produced in a favorable fashion. This is achieved by assigning a sticker to a license plate body of the license plate or to a metal plate in order to produce a multiplicity of license plate bodies. Very precise positioning of a data carrier in a receptacle of a license plate body of a license plate is particularly costly. Increased fabrication costs are to be expected owing to the necessary precision and the associated complexity of the production process of a license plate having a data carrier.

Claims

1. A method for equipping a license plate (17, 19), preferably a motor vehicle license plate, with at least one data carrier which can be read out in a contactless fashion, wherein the data carrier is secured to the license plate (17, 19), wherein at least one sticker (11), in particular a label, which has the at least one data carrier, is secured to a license plate body (16) or to a metal plate (10) in order to produce a multiplicity of license plate bodies (16).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one transponder with a data carrier and at least one antenna are integrated into the sticker (11).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sticker (11) which is preferably embodied in a self-adhesive fashion is stuck to a front side (12) of the license plate (17, 19), in particular to a front side (12) of a license plate body (16) of the license plate (17, 19), or to a film (14) which is applied to the front side (12) of the license plate body (16).

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sticker (11) which is preferably embodied in a self-adhesive fashion is stuck to a rear side of the license plate (17, 19), in particular to a rear side of a license plate body (16) of the license plate (17, 19), or to a film which is applied to the rear side of the license plate body (16).

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one sticker (11), preferably a multiplicity of stickers (11), is applied to the metal plate (10), wherein the stickers (11) are applied spaced apart from one another to the metal plate (10), and the distance between adjacent stickers (11) corresponds to the one dimension, preferably at least approximately to a length, of the license plate body (16).

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one sticker (11) is secured to the metal plate (10) or the license plate body (16) by a film (14), in particular a self-adhesive reflective film.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one sticker (11), preferably a multiplicity of stickers (11), having the data carrier is applied to a film (14), in particular a reflective film, which is embodied in a self-adhesive fashion, and the film (14) is stuck, together with the at least one sticker (11), to the metal plate (10) or the license plate body (16).

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein before the application of the at least one sticker (11) or of the film (14) having at least one sticker (11), a cutout, preferably a slot (20), in particular a multiplicity of slots (20), is punched into the metal plate (10).

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one sticker (11) or the film (14) with the at least one sticker (11) is arranged on the metal plate (10) in such a way that a sticker (11) is respectively arranged over a slot (20) at least in certain areas.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the license plate body (16) which forms the license plate (17, 19), preferably the motor vehicle license plate, with a respective sticker (11) and, if appropriate, a respective slot (20), is punched out of the metal plate (10) having the film (14) with the at least one sticker (11).

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the cutout, in particular the slot (20), is filled with a casting compound from a rear side of the license plate body (16).

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein alphanumerics (18) are applied, preferably stamped or printed, onto the license plate (17, 19).

13. A license plate (17, 19), in particular motor vehicle license plate, having a license plate body (16) which has at least one inscription field, and having at least one inscription which is assigned to the inscription field of the license plate body (16), wherein at least one transponder which can be read out in a contactless fashion and has a data carrier and an antenna for communication is assigned to the license plate body (16), and wherein the license plate body (16) is covered with a protective cover, wherein the transponder is integrated into a sticker (11), in particular a label, and the sticker (11) can be secured to the license plate (17, 19).

14. The license plate (17, 19) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the sticker (11) is embodied in a self-adhesive fashion and can be stuck to the license plate body (16) or the protective cover, in particular a film (14) or reflective film, or can be incorporated into the license plate (17, 19).

15. The license plate (17, 19) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the transponder which is integrated into the sticker (11) is embodied as an NFC transponder.

16. The license plate (17, 19) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the license plate body (16) has a UHF antenna which is formed by a slot (20), and the sticker (11) can be assigned to this UHF antenna, wherein the transponder is embodied as an RFID chip which is coupled to the UHF antenna.

17. The license plate (17, 19) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the transponder is an active or passive component.

18. The license plate (17, 19) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the protective cover is at least partially demetallized, at least in the area of the sticker (11) and/or in the area of a slot (20), or the protective cover is embodied as a prismatic film or as a PVC film or as a transparent plate, in particular made of PMMA or PC, or as some other type of film.

19. A device for equipping a license plate (17, 19), preferably a motor vehicle license plate, with at least one data carrier which can be read out in a contactless fashion and which is integrated into a sticker (11), in particular a label, with a plurality of successive workstations which are linked to at least one conveyor, and is designed to carry out a method for equipping the license plate (17, 19) with the at least one data carrier, wherein the at least one data carrier is secured to the license plate (17, 19), wherein the sticker (11), which has the at least one data carrier, is secured to the license plate body (16) or to the metal plate (10) in order to produce the multiplicity of license plate bodies (16).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing, in which:

[0024] FIG. 1a shows an illustration of a section of a metal plate;

[0025] FIG. 1b shows a metal plate according to FIG. 1a with applied stickers;

[0026] FIG. 1c shows a metal plate according to FIG. 1b with an applied film;

[0027] FIG. 1d shows an illustration of a license plate which is punched out of the metal plate;

[0028] FIG. 2a shows an illustration of a section of a metal plate;

[0029] FIG. 2b shows an illustration of a section of a film with applied stickers;

[0030] FIG. 2c shows an illustration of the film according to FIG. 2b applied to the metal plate;

[0031] FIG. 2d shows an illustration of the license plates punched out of the metal plate;

[0032] FIG. 3a shows an illustration of a metal plate with slots;

[0033] FIG. 3b shows an illustration with stickers applied to the slots;

[0034] FIG. 3c shows an illustration of the metal plate according to FIG. 3b with an applied film;

[0035] FIG. 3d shows an illustration of license plates punched out of the metal plate;

[0036] FIG. 4a shows an illustration of a section of a metal plate with slots;

[0037] FIG. 4b shows an illustration of a film section with applied stickers;

[0038] FIG. 4c shows an illustration of the metal plate according to FIG. 4a with the applied film from FIG. 4b;

[0039] FIG. 4d shows an illustration of the license plates punched out of the metal plate;

[0040] FIG. 5 shows an illustration of a completed license plate with alphanumerics stamped on; and

[0041] FIG. 6 shows an illustration of a completed license plate with alphanumerics stamped on.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0042] Exemplary embodiments of the method according to the invention and of the license plate according to the invention are illustrated below with reference to the figures of the drawing. However, the invention is not limited to the illustrated exemplary embodiments or to the illustrated and described features and measures. There is also no provision of a limitation of the invention to individual features illustrated in the figures. It is therefore conceivable according to the invention that features or measures of the different exemplary embodiments which are illustrated here by way of example can be combined without limitation, or individual features from the exemplary embodiments can be omitted. In addition to the exemplary embodiments illustrated here, a multiplicity of further measures and features on which the same inventive concept is based are also conceivable.

[0043] A metal plate 10 is present as a starting material or starting situation for the method for equipping a license plate with a data carrier. This metal plate 10 is fed as a strip-like “continuous material” to a first workstation. This metal plate 10 can be produced from aluminum, steel or the like. However, it is also conceivable that a plastic, such as for example PMMA, is used as the starting material.

[0044] This metal plate 10 is fed with a virtually straight orientation to an application device or labelling device, by which stickers 11 which are spaced apart from one another are applied to a front side 12 of the metal plate 10. These stickers 11 are enclosed or sheathed or housed data carriers with a communication means. The sticker 11 is embodied in such a way that it is weatherproof. Furthermore, it has an adhesive layer on at least one side, so that the self-adhesive sticker 11 can be applied to the front side 12 of the metal plate without the front side 12 having to be firstly provided with a corresponding adhesive.

[0045] The communication means of the data carrier may be, for example, an RFID chip or some other transponder such as, for example, an NFC transponder. Depending on the design, the communication device can have an antenna which is suitable for communication in various frequency bands. Data stored on the data carrier can be read out via this communication device. Furthermore, there may be provision that the data carrier can be written to via this communication device.

[0046] The application device (not illustrated) for the stickers 11 applies the stickers 11 at an equal distance. This can be achieved by moving the metal plate 10 forward at a constant speed or with a constantly clocked progression in a fabrication direction 13. An exemplary embodiment can provide that the metal plate 10 is clocked so that the individual fabrication stations detect the positions at which, for example, the stickers 11 are to be positioned. Such clocking of the metal plate 10 or else of the applied stickers 11 makes it possible to dispense with actively reading out specific license plates in order to determine an application location, for example of the stickers 11.

[0047] A further exemplary embodiment (not illustrated) can provide that the stickers 11 are applied to a rear side of the metal plate 10 in the same way as described above.

[0048] The metal plate 10 which is applied with the stickers 11 in FIG. 1b is then conveyed, by means of a conveyor device (not illustrated), to a further workstation (not illustrated), which in turn occurs with an incremental movement.

[0049] In the next workstation, a film 14 is applied to the front side 12 of the metal plate 10. This preferably self-adhesive film 14 is placed on the metal plate 10 as a function of the clocking. This can occur with a certain degree of prestress so that no undesired bubbles or the like form between the film and the metal plate 10. The film 14 may be a reflective film with a field 15 for the German Federal State, as illustrated in FIG. 1c. Similarly, there can also be provision that the film 14 has a different marking or an image. The stickers 11 which have been previously applied are covered by the film 14 so that, if appropriate, only a contour of the stickers 11 can still be seen under the film 14.

[0050] In the exemplary embodiment illustrated by FIG. 1a to FIG. 1d, the positioning accuracy of the stickers 11 or of the film 14 is not essential. The positioning tolerance with which the stickers 11 can be applied to the metal plate 10 is relatively large, resulting in the expenditure on processing technology for positioning being low and therefore more favorable.

[0051] There can be provision that the film 14 is metallized. This metallization can be demetallized in certain areas at the positions at which the sticker 11 is located. Such demetallization is to be borne in mind for the transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves by the communication unit. Coverage of the stickers 11 by a metallized film could give rise to a limited performance of the communication module.

[0052] The metal plate 10 having the film 14 is transported in time cycles to a subsequent workstation (not illustrated) by a further conveying means. Clocking of the metal plate 10 also occurs here, so that the individual license plate bodies 16 can be punched out of it. The clocking or the punching occurs in such a way that the film 14 with the field 15 for the German Federal State and the sticker 11 underneath it are respectively located at the predetermined position on the front side 12 of the license plate bodies. In this workstation, a multiplicity of license plates 17 is punched out of the “infinite” metal plate 10, with a license plate body 16 which has the film 14 and the sticker 11. The individual license plates 17 are then fed individually to a stamping device. In this process step, the license plates 17 are personalized by means of a stamping process and a subsequent hot stamping process. For this, the license plates 17 from the preceding process step are packed and sent to a local approval body. The desired or required alphanumerics 18 and a frame of the license plate 17 are stamped in a stamping press. Depending on the stamping method, the frame is firstly stamped on and then the alphanumerics (FIG. 5). In order to produce a better contrast between the underlying surface, that is to say the film 14, and the stamped alphanumerics 18, the stamped areas are colored in by a hot stamping process. Black hot stamping films are frequently used for this.

[0053] In a further exemplary embodiment of the invention which is illustrated by FIGS. 2a to 2d, the film 14 already has the stickers 11 before it is applied to the metal plate 10. Since the individual elements of the second exemplary embodiment are identical to the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 1a to 1d, the same reference numbers are used.

[0054] There can be provision that the film 14 or the reflective film is already supplied with pre-applied stickers 11 by the film supplier, or a corresponding device applies the stickers 11 to a rear side of the film 14 before the application of the film 14 to the front side 12 of the metal plate 10. Since the film 14 is embodied in a self-adhesive fashion, the sticker 11 can be applied to the rear side in a simple way.

[0055] In a further process step (illustrated in FIG. 2c), the film 14 is then applied to the front side 12 of the metal plate 10. It is not necessary to clock the metal plate 10 here. Clocking occurs only after the application of the film 14 to the metal plate 10, so that in the following process step illustrated in FIG. 2d the individual license plate bodies 16 can be punched out of the metal plate 10 again. This punching process must in turn take place in such a way that each license plate body 16 has the field 15 for the German Federal State at a predefined position. The steps following the punching process step are identical to those of the exemplary embodiment described above.

[0056] In a further exemplary embodiment (illustrated by means of FIGS. 3a to 3d), the completed license plates 19 have a slot antenna which functions as an antenna or as an amplification means for the communication unit, which is integrated into the sticker 11, of the data carrier. The slot antenna is formed by a slot 20 which is punched into the metal plate 10 right at the beginning of the production method (FIG. 3a). The punching of the metal plate 10 in turn occurs in a clocked fashion. By virtue of incremental transportation of the metal plate 10 in the fabrication direction 13, the metal plate 10 is always conveyed under a punching device (not illustrated) for the slots 20 in just such a way that the slots 20 always assume the same position on the metal plate and are equally spaced apart from one another.

[0057] In a following fabrication step, in a further workstation in each case a sticker 11 is positioned or applied over the slots 20 at least in certain areas. By virtue of the clocking of the metal plate 10 on the basis of the slots 20, the metal plate 10 is conveyed with clocking in just such a way that the labelling machine can apply the stickers 11 at a predetermined position over the slots 20 (FIG. 3b). The section illustrated in FIG. 3b with the applied stickers 11 is then moved on incrementally into a subsequent workstation for the application of the film 14. During this time, there is then continuous punching of further slots 20 and subsequent application of further stickers 11 to the slots 20, so that a continuous production process of the license plates 19 results.

[0058] The film 14 is applied to the front side 12 of the metal plate 10 as a function of the clocking. As in the other exemplary embodiments, the film 14 is also embodied in a self-adhesive fashion here and is applied to the metal plate with slight prestress.

[0059] Finally, as already illustrated by FIGS. 1d and 2d, in a further step the individual license plate bodies 16 are punched out of the metal plate 10 (FIG. 3d).

[0060] After the individualization of the license plates 19, a rear side of the license plate body 16 is processed. On the rear side of the license plate body 16, a casting compound is filled into the region of the slot antenna or of the slots 20 with a casting system. The casting compound is, on the one hand, intended to prevent the ingress of foreign particles and moisture and therefore to ensure the functioning of the license plate 19, and, on the other hand, is intended to protect the sticker against mechanical influences or tampering (FIG. 6). The casting compound which is used may be, for example, UV-curing, for which reason the casting compound can be illuminated with a UV radiator in this process step. The individual license plates 19 or the license plate blanks are completed after this curing of the casting compound. A further exemplary embodiment of the invention in this context could be to apply the sticker for covering the slot 20 to the rear side of the license plate body 16.

[0061] Finally, FIGS. 4a to 4d describe a further exemplary embodiment of a method for producing a license plate 19. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated there by way of example, a film 14 with stickers 11 already applied to the rear side of the film 14, similarly to FIGS. 2a to 2d, is described (FIG. 4b). This film 14 is applied to the metal plate 10 having the slots 20, specifically in such a way that the stickers 11 are positioned over the slots 20 at least in certain areas. This is done by clocking the progression of the metal plate 10 and synchronizing this clocking with the position of the stickers 11 or of the fields 15 for German Federal States on the film 14. The other method steps behave identically to those in the preceding exemplary embodiments.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0062] 10 Metal plate [0063] 11 Sticker [0064] 12 Front side [0065] 13 Fabrication direction [0066] 14 Film [0067] 15 Field for German Federal States [0068] 16 License plate body [0069] 17 License plate [0070] 18 Alphanumerics [0071] 19 License plate [0072] 20 Slot