Two-part RFID tag for incorporation into microwave food packaging

Abstract

The present invention relates to a package 10 for a microwave food product 12 that includes a first packaging member 14, a second packaging member 16, and a two-part RFID tag 18 that includes a first component 20 associated with the first packaging member and a second component 22 associated with the second packaging member 16.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 954,454, filed December 28, 2019, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The present invention relates to microwave food packaging. More specifically, the present invention relates to a two-part radio frequency identification ("RFID") tag incorporated into microwave food packaging. [Background technology]

[0003] Microwave food packaging The outfit is , may include cooking aids intended to be placed in the microwave oven with the food during cooking / heating. For example, crusty foods such as frozen pies or cooked bread may benefit from a "crisping sleeve", a paper product that at least partially surrounds the food when cooked in a microwave oven. Typically, a "crisping sleeve" has a paper substrate with a susceptor incorporated into the inner surface of the "crisping sleeve" that faces and preferably contacts the food. The susceptor, which may be a metallized film, absorbs microwave energy and converts it into heat to crisp and / or brown the skin or surface of the food, thus improving the appearance and texture of the food. The absorptive properties of the film used as a susceptor reflect a relatively low level of energy so as not to create a high differential voltage between adjacent portions of the film that would cause arcing, which would otherwise cause the package to catch fire.

[0004] Other microwave foods (especially those with associated sauces or liquid ingredients) are packed in plastic trays sealed with film. In the entered state The film may be removed prior to cooking the food in the microwave or may be retained on the tray (either entirely or with one or more slits cut in the film) while the food is cooked in the microwave.

[0005] RFID tags have been proposed for incorporation into product packaging for a variety of purposes, including inventory control and theft prevention. For example, RFID tags could be affixed to the packaging enclosure (usually a paper or paperboard sleeve or box) of microwave food products. Will be Or this Established in The entire package is not intended to be cooked in a microwave oven, the food (and optionally a "crisping sleeve" or tray etc.) is removed from the enclosure and inserted into the microwave oven to be heated / cooked.

[0006] The RFID tag includes an associated device for transmitting information to and / or receiving information from an RFID reader. do The RFID tag includes an RFID chip having an antenna that is electrically coupled to the antenna through a gap defined by the antenna between two contact pad areas. Such an RFID tag is essentially a tag that, at some point, is read by a reader device. In the field When To ,intention was done The gap must be provided in which the RFID chip is placed, with a voltage at the operating frequency. The power injection required for the RFID chip can be as low as 10 microwatts, but microwave ovens generally do not have the gap and associated do It can operate at power levels in excess of 800 watts which can generate very high voltages in the RFID chip.

[0007] The antenna is designed to operate at a first frequency, for example in the range of approximately 860 MHz to 930 MHz, and the antenna takes incident power at the first frequency from the RFID reader and converts it into a voltage that is applied to the RFID chip to operate it.

[0008] electric Applied by the child range Usually around 2450MHz Second Frequency too, When an RFID tag is placed in a microwave oven, it may be incident on the antenna. The very high power level incident on the second frequency creates a high voltage in the antenna, causing the antenna to operate at the second frequency. teethSuch high voltages may appear at various locations on the antenna, but may be prevented by methods such as introducing large gaps between antenna elements and controlled radii that create high voltage breakdowns and arcs. Basic However, the gap that is necessarily filled by the RFID chip is relatively small, allowing high voltages to develop at the second frequency that can cause breakdown and arcing.

[0009] To avoid problems with this property, RFID tags are typically constructed to be easily removable or separable from the food, such as by being affixed to a packaging enclosure, which may include instructions not to cook the enclosure in a microwave oven. However, if a user does not take proper precautions, it is possible to place the entire package (including the RFID tag) in a microwave oven with the food and separate the RFID tag from the food. fail There are cases.

[0010] Even if the RFID tag is properly separated from the food before the food is cooked in the microwave, the RFID tag has certain limitations. For example, if the RFID tag is fixed to the packaging enclosure, it is not possible to track the food with an RFID reader before the food is placed in the enclosure. However, it may be advantageous to be able to read and / or write the RFID tag before the food is placed in the enclosure to provide traceability of ingredients, machines used, etc. Similarly, it becomes impossible to track the food after it has been removed from the enclosure. This is a disadvantage when the food is removed from the enclosure, heated in a microwave oven, and then paid for, which may involve communicating with the RFID tag for pricing and / or inventory control at a cash register or similar point-of-sale terminal. Summary of the Invention

[0011] There are various aspects of the invention that can be implemented separately or together in the devices and systems described and claimed below. These aspects can be used alone or in combination with other aspects of the invention described herein, and describing these aspects together is not intended to exclude using these aspects separately or claiming such aspects separately or in different combinations as set forth in the claims appended hereto.

[0012] Described herein are packages for microwave food products. In some embodiments, the packages include a first packaging member configured to be cooked in a microwave oven and a first package Materials Associated with and a second packaging member configured to be separated from the first packaging member prior to cooking the first packaging member in a microwave oven. In some embodiments, further to the above, the package further comprises an RFID tag comprising a reactive strap and a far-field antenna.

[0013] In some embodiments, the packaging is as described above, and the reactive strap is a first packaging member. It will be established. On the other hand, the far-field antenna is mounted in the second package member. Established in , separated from the reactive strap. In some embodiments, the reactive strap is Can be attached to and configured to couple to the far-field antenna and to be decoupled from the far-field antenna when the second packaging member is separated from the first packaging member.

[0014] In some embodiments, Reactivity Straps and far field The antenna is as described above, and the RFID tag is capable of far-field communication when the reactive strap is coupled to the far-field antenna. 。 On the other hand, reactive straps, when disconnected from the far-field antenna, only provide near-field communication.

[0015] Also described herein are methods of using the described packages to prepare a food product in a microwave oven. In some embodiments, the methods include placing at least a portion of the microwave food product in a first packaging member having an associated reactive strap. establish In some embodiments, the reactive straps communicate via near-field communication. In some embodiments, the first packaging member includes a second packaging member that includes an associated far-field antenna for coupling the reactive straps to the far-field antenna to define an RFID tag. Associated with In some embodiments, the RFID tags communicate via far-field communication. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a side view of an exemplary package for a microwave food product according to one aspect of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a side view of a first package member and associated reactive strap of the package of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is a side view of a second packaging member and associated far-field antenna of the package of FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Where necessary, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein, however, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention which may be embodied in various forms, and therefore the specific details disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art how to variously employ the present invention in virtually any suitable manner.

[0018] FIG 1 shows a package 10 for a microwave food product 12. Package 10 includes a first package member 14 (also shown in FIG 2) and a second package member 16 (also shown in FIG 3). Package 10 further includes an RFID tag 18, one component 20 of which is attached to first package member 14. Established in, the second component 22 is a second package member 16 To be established .

[0019] The first packaging member 14 is configured to be cooked in a microwave oven along with the microwave food product 12 and may be variously configured without departing from the scope of the present invention. Will be In an embodiment, first package member 14 is provided as a tray 24 (typically formed of black or clear plastic) configured to receive at least a portion of microwave food product 12, with a removable film 26 covering an open top of said tray 24. In another exemplary embodiment, first package member 14 is provided as a "crisping sleeve." Other exemplary first package members include, but are not limited to, a plate, a bowl, a cup, or any other shape or member.

[0020] Regardless of the particular configuration of the first packaging member 14, the reactive strap 20 of the RFID tag 18 may be attached to the first packaging member 14. To be established In some embodiments, the reactive strap 20 is attached to the exterior surface of the first packaging member 14 to separate the reactive strap 20 from the microwave food item 12. To be established It may be advantageous to 。 Alternatively, the reactive straps 20 may be attached to the inside surface of the first packaging member 14 or to both surfaces of the first packaging member 14. To be established thing too It is within the scope of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a reactive strap 20 that is To be established If the reactive strap 20 is removed from the microwave food 12, To be located at a distance (For example, the microwave food item 12 is on the bottom or base of the tray 24. on the other hand , located adjacent to the top edge of the tray 24 To However, it is contemplated that the reactive strap 20 may be in contact with the microwave food product 12.

[0021] Illustrated Will be In an embodiment, the reactive strap 20 is attached to the side 28 of the tray 24. Established in In other embodiments, the reactive strap 20 may be attached to other surfaces of the first package member 14, including the bottom or base surface 30 or the top or upper surface 32. Established in As shown in FIG. 1 (and described in more detail herein), the reactive strap 20 may be adjacent to another component 22 of the RFID tag 18. can be positioned Thus, the reactive strap 20 is attached to the first package member 14. To be established The position is such that other components 22 of the RFID tag 18 are located within the second package member 16 To be established In position Based on Can be Rushi , and vice versa.

[0022] Reactive Strap 20 teeth, Regardless of where it is located relative to the first package member 14, the first package member 14 may be removed by any suitable approach. Established in For example, in one embodiment, the reactive strap 20 is secured to the first package member 14 by adhesive or mechanical fasteners, or by clamping. Be In other exemplary embodiments, the first packaging member 14 may define a pocket or cavity into which the reactive strap 20 may be at least partially received. wear Other approaches for this purpose may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0023] The structure of the reactive strap 20 may be varied without departing from the scope of the present invention. Will be In an embodiment, the reactive strap 20 includes an RFID chip 34 coupled to a conductive ring or loop of conductor 36. More specifically, the reactive strap 20 cooperates with other components 22 of the RFID tag 18 to enable the RFID tag 18 to communicate in the far field. However, the reactive strap 20 does not communicate with other components 22 of the RFID tag 18 (as in FIG. 2). IsolationThe reactive strap 20 configured as such is only capable of near-field communication (i.e., communication within a range of about 300 mm or so). With such a configuration, the reactive strap 20 is capable of detecting when the two package members 14 and 16 are in close proximity to each other. Associated To that end, in some embodiments, the reactive strap 20 allows for the exchange of information (e.g., regarding the operations and / or ingredients used to manufacture the microwave food product 12 and / or the price of the microwave food product 12) between the first packaging member 14 and the second packaging member 16 early in the manufacturing process, such as immediately after the first packaging member 14 is manufactured and prior to introducing the microwave food product 12 into the first packaging member 14. To be established However, it may be advantageous if the microwave food product 12 is packaged in a first packaging member 14. Established in Later in the manufacturing process, including after the first packaging member 14 is bonded to the reactive strap 20, To be established It is also within the scope of the present invention.

[0024] Regardless of the particular configuration of the reactive strap 20, the reactive strap 20 may be used to (and / or may not be used with) the microwave food 12 for cooking in a microwave oven. but intention It has been First package member 14 To be established2 and 3, are configured to be microwave safe. Such a configuration allows a user to safely place the first packaging member 14 in a microwave oven to heat the microwave food item 12 without first removing the reactive strap 20 from the first packaging member 14. Microwaving the reactive strap 20 will not overheat and damage the first packaging member 14 and / or create sparks (e.g., arcs). Preferably, the reactive strap 20 is configured to be microwave resistant, allowing for continued use of the reactive strap 20 after the microwave food item 12 and first packaging member 14 have been heated. This may be particularly advantageous when the microwave food item 12 and first packaging member 14 are intended to be heated and then taken to a cash register or similar point-of-sale terminal for payment for the microwave food item 12, which may include the reactive strap 20 being read at close range to indicate the price of the microwave food item 12 and / or to indicate that one has been sold for inventory tracking purposes. However, while it may be advantageous for the reactive strap 20 to be microwave resistant, When cooking in a microwave oven, It may overheat and damage the first package member 14. Or , sparks Generate Or, Other causing a dangerous situation Provided that the The reactive strap 20 is heated by microwaves. operation It is within the scope of the present invention that it may become impossible.

[0025] Turning now to the second packaging member 16, it is not necessarily configured to be cooked in a microwave oven along with the microwave food item 12, but rather is configured to be separated from the first packaging member 14 prior to cooking the first packaging member 14 and the microwave food item 12 in a microwave oven. The second packaging member 16 may be variously configured without departing from the scope of the present invention. Will beIn an embodiment, the second packaging member 16 is provided as an enclosure, box or sleeve 38 (typically formed from paper or paperboard) configured to receive at least a portion of the first packaging member 14. The second packaging member 16 may include graphics, cooking instructions, a bar code, or the like.

[0026] Regardless of the particular configuration of the second packaging member 16, the second component 22 of the RFID tag 18 may be attached to the second packaging member 16. To be established In some embodiments, to allow for closer placement of the reactive strap 20, the Will be In one embodiment, the second component 22 of the RFID tag 18 is attached to the inside surface of the second packaging member 16. To be established It is preferred 。 Instead, the second component 22 of the RFID tag 18 is attached to the exterior surface of the second packaging member 16. To be established It is also within the scope of the present invention.

[0027] As mentioned above, in some embodiments, the second package member 16 is a first package member 14. To be established In this case, it may be advantageous for the second component 22 of the RFID tag 18 to be located adjacent to the reactive strap 20. Will be In an embodiment, the second component 22 of the RFID tag 18 is configured such that the reactive strap 20 is attached to the side 28 of the first package member 14. To be established At a position similar to that of the side 40 of the second package member 16, To be established In another embodiment, the second component 22 of the RFID tag 18 is Other surfaces of the second package member 16 may be provided. Such surfaces include the bottom or base surface 42. (Preferably, the reactive strap 20 is attached to the bottom or base surface 30 of the first package member 14. To be established case )、 or Top surface or upper surface 44 (Preferably is against The flexible strap 20 is attached to the top surface or upper surface 32 of the first package member 14. To be established case ) Including Can be seen .

[0028] Second component 22 of RFID tag 18 teeth,Regardless of where it is located relative to the second package member 16, any suitable approach may be used to remove the second package member 16. Established in For example, in one embodiment, the second component 22 of the RFID tag 18 may be secured to the second packaging member 16 by an adhesive or mechanical fastener, or by clamping. In other exemplary embodiments, the second packaging member 16 may define a pocket or cavity into which the second component 22 of the RFID tag 18 may be at least partially received. No. 2. Package member 16 and RFID Tag 18 Related to the second component 22 wear For Other approaches (For example, the second component 22 of the RFID tag 18 may be printed on the surface of the second packaging member 16. thing) may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. Be obtain.

[0029] Regarding the structure of the second component 22 of the RFID tag 18, As long as the RFID tag is configured to cooperate with the reactive strap 20 to enable far-field communication, Various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Be profit do. Illustrated Will be In an embodiment, the second component 22 of the RFID tag 18 is provided as a far-field antenna configured as a dipole antenna. In such a configuration, the far-field antenna 22 provides no function when disconnected from the reactive strap 20 (i.e., when the first and second packaging members 14 and 16 are separated from one another) and provides no function when the far-field antenna 22 is coupled to the reactive strap 20. tree (That is, the second package member 16 is the first package member 14 Associated with and tree ) Only to , to increase or boost the communication range of the reactive strap 20 (i.e., the RFID tag 18). to do Playing a role Therefore, as described above, to ensure that the far-field antenna 22 is properly coupled to the reactive strap 20, the second package member 16 must be secured to the first package member 14. Associated with and tree , The far field antenna 22 is Adjacent to the reactive strap 20 To be placed At position 16 Associated with It may be advantageous to

[0030] With such a configuration, the two components 20, 22 of the RFID tag 18 are coupled together for use in logistics such as tracking the package 10 during transportation of the RFID tag 18 from a factory to a store and / or managing store inventory. Thus, the package 10 according to the present invention allows for communication at different times and at different ranges. For example, as discussed above, the reactive strap 20 may be coupled to the first packaging member 14 after the first packaging member 14 is formed, but before the microwave food product 12 is introduced into the first packaging member 14. Established in At that time (i.e., the second package member 16 is inserted into the first package member 14) Associated with Subsequently, the second packaging member 16 (and associated far-field antenna 22) may communicate with the first packaging member 14, such as after the microwave food product 12 has been introduced into the first packaging member 14 and / or after the first packaging member 14 has been sealed. Associated with 2, thereby coupling the far-field antenna 22 to the reactive strap 20 and defining the RFID tag 18. The RFID tag 18 can then communicate via far-field communications. Finally, prior to cooking the microwave food item 12 in a microwave oven, the second packaging member 16 can be separated from the first packaging member 14 (e.g., by removing and discarding or recycling), thereby decoupling the far-field antenna 22 from the reactive strap 20. The reactive strap 20 can then again communicate via near-field communications, such as with a cash register.

[0031] The far-field antenna 22 increases the energy coupled into the reactive strap 20 and (e.g., heats up more than the reactive strap 20). BeBecause the second packaging member 16 may react differently to microwaves (by being heated) than the reactive strap 20, which is microwave sensitive, it is preferred that the second packaging member 16 be separated from the first packaging member 14 (and associated reactive strap 20) before the first packaging member 14 is microwaved. However, because a user may not separate the second packaging member 16 (and associated far-field antenna 22) from the first packaging member 14, the far-field antenna 22 may not be able to detect the microwave radiation when the assembled RFID tag 18 is microwaved. In the case , to ensure that the far-field antenna 22 does not cause smoke, fire, or a dangerous condition. This may be accomplished according to any suitable approach, which may include the far-field antenna 22 being configured to be destroyed when cooked in a microwave oven, such as by configuring the far-field antenna 22 to expand at a different rate than the second packaging member 16 when heated, such that the far-field antenna 22 is destroyed. Alternatively, the far-field antenna 22 may be configured to overheat and potentially damage the second packaging member 16, but not to cause arcing, fire, or smoke.

[0032] It will be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative of some of the applications of the principles of the present invention. Numerous modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter, including any combination of features individually disclosed or claimed herein. For these reasons, the scope of the present specification is not limited to the above description, but is as set forth in the following claims, which may be directed to any feature of the present invention, including any combination of features individually disclosed or claimed herein.

Claims

1. a first packaging member configured to be cooked in a microwave oven; a second packaging member configured to encase the first packaging member and configured to be separated from the first packaging member prior to cooking the first packaging member in a microwave oven; a reactive strap attached to the first packaging member and an RFID tag including a far-field antenna attached to the second packaging member and separated from the reactive strap; A microwave food package comprising: the reactive strap is configured to be coupled to the far-field antenna when the second packaging member encases the first packaging member; the reactive strap is configured to be decoupled from the far-field antenna when the second packaging member is separated from the first packaging member; the RFID tag is capable of far-field communication when the reactive strap is coupled to the far-field antenna; The reactive strap is capable of only near-field communication when the reactive strap is disconnected from the far-field antenna.

2. the package containing the microwave food product is configured with the first packaging member wrapped within the second packaging member such that the reactive strap is coupled to the far-field antenna; and when the second packaging member is separated from the first packaging member, thereby decoupling the reactive strap from the far-field antenna, the near-field communication is between the reactive strap and a POS terminal for payment of the microwave food product.

2. The package of claim 1.

3. The package of claim 1 , wherein the second package member includes a graphic, cooking instructions, and / or a bar code.

4. The package of claim 1 , wherein the first packaging member comprises a tray configured to receive at least a portion of a microwave food product.

5. The package of claim 1 , wherein the second package member includes an enclosure that receives at least a portion of the first package member.

6. The package of claim 1 , wherein the reactive strap includes an RFID chip coupled to a conductive ring.

7. The package of claim 1 , wherein the far-field antenna is configured as a dipole antenna.

8. the first packaging member includes a tray configured to receive at least a portion of a microwave food product; the second package member includes an enclosure configured to receive at least a portion of the first package member; the reactive strap includes an RFID chip coupled to a conductive ring; The package of claim 1 , wherein the far-field antenna is configured as a dipole antenna.

9. The package of claim 1 , wherein the reactive strap is secured to a side or base of the first package member.

10. The package of claim 1 , wherein the far field antenna is affixed to an interior or exterior surface of the second packaging member.

11. associating at least a portion of the microwave food product with a first packaging member having an associated reactive strap; communicating with the reactive strap via near-field communication; packaging the first packaging member with a second packaging member including an associated far-field antenna for coupling the reactive strap to the far-field antenna to define an RFID tag; and communicating with said RFID tag via far field communication.

12. the package containing the microwave food product is configured with the first packaging member wrapped within the second packaging member such that the reactive strap is coupled to the far-field antenna; and when the second packaging member is separated from the first packaging member, thereby decoupling the reactive strap from the far-field antenna, the near-field communication is between the reactive strap and a POS terminal for payment of the microwave food product. The method of claim 11.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second packaging member includes a graphic, cooking instructions, and / or a bar code.

14. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first packaging member comprises a tray configured to receive at least a portion of a microwave food product.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second package member includes an enclosure that receives at least a portion of the first package member.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the reactive strap includes an RFID chip coupled to a conductive ring.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the far-field antenna is configured as a dipole antenna.

18. the first packaging member includes a tray configured to receive at least a portion of a microwave food product; the second package member includes an enclosure configured to receive at least a portion of the first package member; the reactive strap includes an RFID chip coupled to a conductive ring; The method of claim 11 , wherein the far-field antenna is configured as a dipole antenna.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the reactive strap is secured to a side or base surface of the first package member.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the far field antenna is affixed to an interior or exterior surface of the second packaging member.

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