Plastic Cap IC Tag Shielding Gap for Signal Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
IC tags attached to plastic caps used on containers filled with water-based contents face issues with signal transmission and reception due to dielectric loss and impedance mismatch, and are difficult to handle and position accurately during attachment, leading to low productivity.
Innovation Solution
A plastic cap design with a top plate featuring an annular flange and recessed portion that acts as a shielding member to maintain a gap between the IC tag and the water-containing content, combined with a method of attaching the IC tag using a laminated sheet and heat-melt-adhering process to ensure reliable positioning and secure attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the IC tag is attached directly to the top plate of a one-piece cap, then the structure is simple and manufacturing is easy, but water causes dielectric loss and impedance mismatch interrupting signal transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is divided into two separate pieces: a cap body and an upper lid. The IC tag is attached to the upper lid, which is detached from the cap body during filling. This segmentation allows the IC tag to be positioned away from water-containing contents while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through assembly of separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper lid containing the IC tag is extracted and separated from the cap body. This extraction removes the IC tag from the harmful environment of water-containing contents, preventing dielectric loss and impedance mismatch while allowing the cap body to remain simple for manufacturing.
2Manufacturing precision
If the IC tag is handled as a small separate piece during attachment, then it can be positioned precisely, but it is difficult to handle and prone to flying off, reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple IC tags are combined into a single IC tag sheet containing multiple individual IC tags arranged in an array. This merging allows the entire sheet to be handled as one unit during attachment, preventing individual tags from flying off while maintaining precise positioning through the sheet structure. The sheet can be attached to the upper lid in one operation, significantly improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The IC tags are pre-arranged and fixed on a sheet before the attachment process. This preliminary arrangement ensures precise positioning is already established, and the entire pre-positioned sheet can be transferred to the upper lid as a unit, eliminating the need to handle and position each small IC tag individually.
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 prevents signal interruption by water and ensures reliable transmission and reception of product information while improving handling and attachment efficiency of the IC tags, reducing the risk of deviation or loss during the process.
Implementation Method 1
The IC tag reads the product information stored in the IC chip through radio communication... The IC tag of the type of electromagnetic waves has such an advantage that it occupies a small area... transmission and reception of information became difficult
Data Source
AI summary
A plastic cap with IC tag storing product information provided on the upper surface of a top plate. The top plate is formed by an annular flange and a recessed portion 37, the recessed portion, including a side wall continuous to the inner circumferential edge of the annular flange and a bottom continuous to the lower end of the side wall. The tag 10 is attached to the annular flange to cover the recessed portion. A gap between the tag and the bottom is maintained to such a degree that the transmission and reception of signals to and from the tag are not interrupted when the back surface of the bottom comes in contact with water.