Elastic Antenna Loop with Wide Connecting Portions for Laundry Tags
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Solution Overview
Problem
RFID tags used in laundry services face connection failures due to stress from rubbing and scrubbing, particularly at the interface between the antenna and RFIC elements, leading to peeling or breaking, and existing solutions like resin molding increase tag thickness and impair drying or chemical permeability.
Innovation Solution
A wireless communication device with an antenna element made of elastic material, featuring a loop with wider line widths at connecting portions and a meander pattern, which provides form elasticity and reduces stress concentrations without a support film, ensuring reliable communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the antenna element is made of thin metal wire to reduce thickness, then the tag thickness is reduced and drying property is improved, but stress concentrates on the connecting portion causing connection failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a loop structure with wider line width at the connecting portions and narrower line width at other portions. This local variation in geometry concentrates structural strength where needed (at the connecting portions to the RFIC element) while maintaining overall thinness and flexibility of the antenna element.
Solution Approach 2:
The loop structure with wider connecting portions acts as a pre-designed stress distribution mechanism that cushions against concentrated stresses before they can cause connection failure. The elastic material and geometric design preemptively handle stress during laundry processes.
2Reliability
If resin molding is used to protect the RFIC element and connecting portion, then connection reliability is improved, but tag thickness increases and drying property deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the protective function from a separate resin molding layer and integrates it into the antenna element structure itself. The loop structure with wider connecting portions provides inherent mechanical protection without requiring an additional resin layer, thus maintaining thinness while ensuring connection reliability.
3Strength
If metal foil is patterned on flexible base material to form antenna, then structural support is improved, but stress concentrates at material interfaces causing peeling or breaking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses homogeneity by making the entire antenna element from a single elastic material without interfaces between different materials. This eliminates the peeling and breaking problems that occur at interfaces between metal foil and base material, while the loop structure provides the necessary structural support.
4Stability of the object's composition
If support film is added to hold the antenna pattern, then structural stability is improved, but chemical agent permeability and drying property deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the structural stability function from a separate support film and integrates it into the antenna element's own geometry. The loop structure with wider connecting portions provides inherent structural stability without requiring an additional support film, thus maintaining chemical agent permeability and drying property.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces connection failures and maintains electric characteristics without increasing the tag's size or thickness, ensuring reliable communication and preventing stress-induced damage during laundry processes.
Implementation Method 1
an antenna element including two connecting portions respectively connected to two input/output terminals provided on an RFIC (Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit) element and a linear antenna portion with both ends open and defining and functioning as a radiator, the antenna element being made of an elastic material, the antenna element including a loop including the two connecting portions such that in at least a portion extending parallel or substantially parallel with a straight line connecting the two connecting portions, the loop has a line width larger than the line width of the linear antenna portion
Data Source
AI summary
Two input/output terminals are provided on a lower surface of an RFIC element. An antenna element includes an elastic material and connecting portions respectively connected to the two input/output terminals of the RFIC element, a loop that includes the connecting portions, and open-ended linear antenna portions that define and function as radiators. The line width of the loop is greater than that of each of the linear antenna portions.