IC Tag Reinforcing Member Stress Relief

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Solution Overview

Problem

IC tags with hard reinforcing members suffer from stress concentration at the outer peripheral edge when bent, leading to potential antenna breakage due to the difference in flexibility between reinforced and non-reinforced areas.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a cover member that is not adhesively joined around the reinforcing member, creating a gap at the outer peripheral edge to alleviate stress concentration, and using flexible or waterproof materials to enhance durability and water resistance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a hard reinforcing member is disposed on the IC chip to prevent breakage or detachment, then the IC chip is protected from bending stress, but stress concentrates at the outer peripheral edge of the reinforcing member causing antenna breakage

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveIC chip protectionVSAvoidantenna integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A flexible cover member made of elastomeric material is disposed over the reinforcing member and IC chip. This flexible cover allows the structure to bend without concentrating stress at the rigid edges of the reinforcing member, thereby preventing antenna breakage while maintaining IC chip protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The IC tag employs a composite structure combining a hard reinforcing member (rigid material) with a flexible cover member (elastomeric material). This composite design integrates the strength benefits of rigid materials with the flexibility benefits of elastomeric materials, resolving the contradiction between protecting the IC chip and preventing antenna breakage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Stability of the object's composition

If the cover member is adhesively joined around the reinforcing member to secure structure, then the cover member is firmly attached, but stress concentration occurs at the adhesive interface during bending

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecover member attachmentVSAvoidantenna integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The adhesive joining is selectively removed from the critical region around the outer peripheral edge of the reinforcing member. By extracting the adhesive from this stress-concentration-prone area, the design prevents antenna breakage while maintaining sufficient attachment stability in non-critical regions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The cover member attachment strategy varies by location: adhesively joined in regions where stability is needed, but deliberately left unjoined around the outer peripheral edge of the reinforcing member where stress concentration would occur. This local differentiation in attachment quality resolves the contradiction between stability and reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3385886B1IC tag, IC tag container, and rubber product with IC tag
Publication Date: 2021.02.17 NITTA CORP
  • EP3385886B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3385886B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4B
  • EP3385886B1 patent drawingFigure 5A~5B

AI summary

Provided is a technique for preventing the occurrence of damage, such as breaking of an antenna, due to bending, in an IC tag in which an IC chip is protected with a reinforcing member. An IC tag according to an aspect of the present invention is an IC tag attachable to an article, and includes an inlay including an IC chip and an antenna electrically connected to the IC chip; at least one reinforcing member that is disposed on at least one face of the inlay so as to protect the IC chip; and at least one sheet-like cover member that is disposed on at least one face side of the inlay and that covers the reinforcing member. The cover member is not adhesively joined in a region around the reinforcing member and is adhesively joined to at least one of the inlay and the reinforcing member in another region.