US-12619846-B2 - RFID yarn module and method for making the same

Abstract

The present invention provides an RFID yarn module comprising a polymer substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a metal layer, and a first adhesive layer formed on the metal layer, and a first polymer material layer formed on the first the adhesive layer, a second adhesive layer, and a first protection layer. The metal layer is formed on the first surface of the polymer substrate and has an RFID element electrically connected to the metal layer. The second adhesive layer is formed on the first polymer material layer and is corresponding to the RFID element. The first protection layer is formed on the second adhesive layer. Alternatively, the present invention provides a method for making the RFID yarn module in which a roll-to-roll process for mass manufacturing is utilized to make the RFID yarn module.

Inventors

• Chong En DAI
• Cheng Hung Chang

Assignees

• SECURITAG ASSEMBLY GROUP CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20250514

Priority Date

20220704

Claims (6)

1. 1 . A method for forming an RFID yarn module, comprising steps of: providing a roll-to-roll equipment having a material roll arranged thereon, wherein the material roll comprises a plurality of RFID tags two-dimensionally formed on the material roll, and each RFID tag comprises a polymer substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a metal layer formed on the first surface of the polymer substrate, an RFID element disposed on and electrically connected to the metal layer, a first adhesive layer formed on the metal layer, and a first polymer layer formed on the first adhesive layer and the RFID element; moving a material band segment having M×N RFID tags from the material roll to a processing station along a first direction; forming a quantity M of protection layers on the first polymer layer of the M×N RFID tags at the processing station wherein the quantity M of protection layers are formed along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; moving the material band segment having the quantity M of the protection layers to a cutting station; and cutting the material band segment having the quantity M of the protection layers along the first direction thereby forming a quantity N of RFID tag bands.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cutting station further comprises a first cutting stage and a second cutting stage, and step of cutting the material band segment further comprises steps of: utilizing a quantity N−1 of first cutters for cutting the material band segment at the first cutting stage thereby forming a quantity N of first cutting segments respectively having a first width; and utilizing a quantity N−1 of second cutters for cutting the quantity N of first cutting segments at the second cutting stage thereby forming a quantity N of second cutting segments respectively having a second width.
3. 3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising, at a weaving station after the cutting station, weaving a fabric to wrap around each RFID tag band.
4. 4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step for forming the protection layer further comprises steps of: providing a quantity M of the protection material roll at a first lateral side of the material band segment at the processing station, wherein each protection material roll has a second adhesive layer formed thereon; providing a clamping device; clamping each free end of the quantity M of the protection material roll by the clamping device; moving the clamping device along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction from the first lateral side to a second lateral side of the material band segment opposite the first lateral side, thereby forming a quantity M of protection material band segment corresponding to a location where the RFID elements are arranged; using the second adhesive layer formed on the protection material band segment to adhere onto the first polymer layer; and cutting the protection material band segment along the first direction at the first lateral side thereby forming the quantity M of the protection layer.
5. 5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the protection layer further comprises steps of: forming a second adhesive layer on the first polymer layer corresponding to the M×N RFID tags; and forming a quantity M of the protection layers on the second adhesive layer, wherein each protection layer is corresponding to a location where the RFID elements are arranged.
6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first adhesive layer is surrounding the RFID element or covered onto the RFID element.

Description

This application claims the benefit of Taiwan Patent Application Serial No. 111124965, filed Jul. 4, 2022, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is related to a wireless communication technology, and more particularly, to an RFID (radio-frequency identification) yarn module and method for making the same. 2. Description of the Prior Art RFID tags have already been adapted in different kinds of industrial fields. In the recent years, the RFID tags are also induced into the retail management so as to considerably increase benefits in the retail industry and obviously affect the operation in the retail business of clothing and footwear. Since the requirement of RFID tags in different industrial fields drive the research and design of the RFID tags, the cost for making the RFID tag is also consequently reduced such that the RFID tags can be broadly adopted. Recently, the RFID tags for management of supply chain can be divided into two fields in which the sticker type RFID tags are mainly utilized for logistics management while the paper-made hang type RFID tags are mainly utilized in retail management. Either the sticker type or hang type RFID tag belongs to disposable RFID tag. Moreover, the sticker type or hang type RFID tags are not waterproof and they are easy to be eliminated or misplaced. In addition, the sticker type or hang type RFID tags will also cause environmental issues when the sticker or hang tag are disposed of. Since the RFID tags are easily interfered with by static electricity, metal environment, and water, the operating environment where the RFID tags could be utilized are strongly limited. Currently, the commonly used types of the RFID tags can be sticker type, paper-made hang type, cards, button-type elements, or ring-shaped type, and so on, which are mostly made from polymer materials, such as silicon gel, ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), PETG (polyethylene terephthalate glycol-modified), PC (polycarbonates), and PP (polypropylene). The products of RFID tags made by above-mentioned conventional ways are mostly saturated. Conventionally, the RFID tag cannot be washed. Even if there has been washable RFID tag, it still has drawbacks of bulky and causing the wear and tear of weaving object as well. In the conventional art, although there have been RFID products wrapped by yarn-woven fabric, these products are not water proof. For example, the RFID element in the RFID tag will be damaged after washing a few times. Accordingly, there is a need for providing an RFID yarn module and method for making the same for solving the problem occurred in the conventional RFID tag. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an RFID yarn module and method for making the same in which the volume of the antenna layout is minimized and highly stable package of the antenna and RFID element is achieved through a specific packaging technique described hereinafter. After packaging the antenna, a cover plate is formed on the position corresponding to the RFID element electrically connected to the antenna to function as a protection layer for protecting the RFID element thereby the capability of durable for laundry of the present RFID yarn module is greatly improved. In another embodiment, plural columns of the protection layers are simultaneously adhered on the material band having a plurality of RFID tags formed thereon. After that, the material band having the protection layer formed thereon are divided into a plurality of first cut band having a first width and the first cut bands are subsequently divided into a plurality of second cut band having a second width. Thereafter, the yarns are woven to wrap the second cut band. Finally, a tiny, concealable, and flexible RFID yarn module can be formed through a cutting process. The manufacturing process is conducted by a roll-to-roll process. In one embodiment, the present invention provides an RFID yarn module comprising a polymer substrate, a metal layer, a first adhesive layer, a first polymer layer, a second adhesive layer, and a first protection layer. The polymer substrate is configured to have a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The metal layer is formed on the first surface of the polymer substrate, the metal layer further electrically connected to an RFID element which is disposed on the metal layer. The first adhesive layer is formed on the metal layer and surrounding the RFID element. The first polymer layer is formed on the first adhesive layer and the RFID element. The second adhesive layer is formed on the first polymer layer and spatially corresponding to the RFID element. The first protection layer is formed on the second adhesive layer. In another embodiment, the present invention further provides a method for making the RFID yarn module comprising steps of providing a roll-to-r