Smart Capsules

Abstract

The technology relates to a cap 1 having a head 4 and a skirt 7 with a circumferential opening area 20 characterized in that the cap 1 may include a transponder 10 including and antenna circuit 14 and a leg circuit 17 the leg circuit 17 extending to the skirt 7 and being non-releasably affixed to the opening area 20, whereby the leg circuit 17 is breakable by disruption of the opening area 20. The transponder 10 stores and is able to transmit information on the integrity of the cap 1 to a reading device.

Claims

1. A cap comprising a head and a skirt the skirt having a circumferential opening area characterized in that the cap comprises a transponder including an antenna circuit and a leg circuit said leg circuit extending to the skirt and being non-releasably affixed to the opening area, whereby the leg circuit is breakable by disruption of the opening area.

2. A Cap according to claim 1 wherein the skirt is a metal skirt which includes a circumferential tear band, whereby the head comprises an NFC chip including the antenna circuit and the leg circuit which extends to the metal skirt across the tear band and is non-releasably affixed to the tear band, whereby the leg circuit is breakable by removal of the tear band.

3. A Cap according to claim 1, wherein the head is made of a plastics material which is transparent to radio frequencies in the MHz range.

4. A Cap according to claim 1, wherein the cap has an inside and the transponder is an NFC chip including the antenna circuit and the leg circuit is arranged on the inside of the cap, whereby the head is made of a plastics material which is transparent to radio frequencies in the MHz range.

5. A Cap according to claim 1, wherein the cap has an outer side and the transponder is an NFC chip including the antenna circuit and the leg circuit is arranged on the outer side of the cap.

6. A Cap according to claim 5, wherein the head and the skirt are made of metal.

7. A Cap according to claim 6, wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of aluminium, aluminium alloys, tin, and tin alloys.

8. A Cap according to claim 6 wherein the NFC chip including the antenna circuit arranged on the outer side of the cap is covered by a top layer made of a material which is transparent to radio frequencies in the MHz range.

9. A Cap according to claim 8, wherein the top layer is made of a plastic material.

10. A Cap according to claim 1 wherein the transponder transmits information on an integrity of the cap in a state of unbroken leg circuit to a reading device.

11. A Cap according to claim 1 wherein the reading device is a handheld device.

13. A Cap according to claim 7 wherein the NFC chip including the antenna circuit arranged on the outer side of the cap is covered by a top layer made of a material which is transparent to radio frequencies in the MHz range.

14. A cap according to claim 1 further including a bottle wherein the cap is affixed to the bottle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The cap according to the disclosed technology is explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments in the drawings, in which, purely schematically:

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a first perspective view from a cap;

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a second perspective view from a cap;

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a NFC tag.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE TECHNOLOGY

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a first perspective view of a cap 1 according to the disclosed technology. The cap 1 includes a head 4 and a metal skirt 7. As most of the inner side of the cap 1 is visible the NFC chip 10 including the antenna circuit 14 arranged on the planar part of the head 4 is shown. Further shown is a leg circuit 17 which extends from the NFC chip 10 to the inner side of the metal skirt 7 across the tear band 20. The tear band 20 is delimited by two weakening lines 23 and 26. The tear band 20 may further include a grip tab 29.

[0034] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a cross section of a cap 1. Again, the cap 1 includes a head 4 and a substantially cylindrical skirt 7. The circumferential tear band 20 that is delimited by two weakening lines 23 and 26 is only partially visible. The portion of the leg circuit 17 which is shown extends to the metal skirt 7 and further across the tear band 20.

[0035] FIG. 3 shows a NFC tag 32. The NFC chip 10 including its antenna circuit 14 and the two leg circuits 17 are securely arranged on a substrate 35 by means of a permanent adhesive.