RFID Tag with Conductive Thread Antenna for Flexible Materials
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional RFID tags for flexible materials, such as clothing, are prone to disconnection and discomfort due to their rigid structure and susceptibility to damage, making direct attachment difficult and affecting data communication reliability.
Innovation Solution
The RFID antenna is integrated into a flexible material tag base using conductive threads woven or sewn into the fabric, allowing for electromagnetic coupling and providing a flexible, durable solution for data communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the RFID antenna is made using extremely-thin metallic foil or etching, then the RFID antenna can be manufactured, but it is susceptible to disconnection and requires a thick tag main body for protection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by using a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) as the tag main body instead of traditional thick rubber materials. The FPC provides both structural support and electrical connectivity, eliminating the need for a thick protective body while preventing antenna disconnection through its inherent rigidity and conductive pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the FPC material with the RFID antenna components to create a composite structure. The FPC serves as both the substrate and the electrical connection medium, integrating multiple functions into a single composite component that reduces overall device complexity while improving reliability.
2Strength
If the tag main body is made thick using rubber-base material to protect the RFID antenna, then the antenna is protected from damage, but the tag cannot be sewn directly on clothing and requires secondary components or processing
Solution Approach 1:
The FPC provides a thin yet protective structure that maintains antenna safety while allowing direct sewing. Its flexible nature enables it to conform to fabric surfaces and withstand sewing processes without requiring additional protective layers or complex assembly steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The FPC serves multiple functions simultaneously: it protects the RFID antenna, provides electrical connections, and acts as a sewable substrate. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate protective components and enables direct attachment to clothing.
3Ease of operation
If the tag main body is made thin to allow direct sewing, then direct attachment to clothing is enabled, but the RFID antenna is easily disconnected due to stress from bending or twisting
Solution Approach 1:
The FPC achieves an optimal balance between thinness and strength. It is thin enough to allow direct sewing and flexible movement, yet structurally robust enough to prevent antenna disconnection under bending or twisting stress through its rigid circuit board construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite structure of the FPC combines flexible substrate material with rigid circuit traces, creating a component that is both flexible enough for direct sewing and strong enough to protect antenna connections from stress during movement and washing.
4Strength
If a backing cloth or secondary processing is used to attach the RFID tag, then the antenna is protected and the tag can be attached, but the entire tag is covered by cloth making visual identification impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The thin FPC structure eliminates the need for thick backing cloth coverage. Its minimal thickness allows the RFID tag to be attached directly to the fabric surface without requiring additional protective layers that would obscure visual identification features.
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
This configuration enables comfortable and durable attachment of RFID tags to flexible materials, reducing the risk of disconnection and maintaining data communication functionality even under stress, while allowing for customizable antenna patterns and efficient production.
Implementation Method 1
The RFID antenna is configured by a tag base made of a flexible material and a conductive thread integral with the tag base... the base antenna and the inlay antenna are electromagnetically coupled
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is an RFID tag for a flexible material product and directly attachable to the flexible material product, examples of which include various fabric products such as clothes and laundry-related products, soft synthetic resin material products, and leather products, resistant to a stress such as bending or twisting in cleaning, having an RFID antenna insusceptible to disconnection, and extremely close to the flexible material and exceptionally durable, as well as an RFID antenna of the RFID tag for a flexible material product, and an RFID antenna continuous body for the RFID tag for a flexible material product. The focus is placed on that a tag base 12 itself is made of a flexible material such as a fabric material or the like, and that an antenna itself is configured by a conductive thread 14. The RFID tag for a flexible material product includes the tag base 12 attachable to a flexible material product; and an RFID inlay 15 capable of performing wireless data communication. The tag base 12 is configured by a flexible material, and an RFID antenna 11A includes a base antenna portion 13 configured by integrating the conductive thread 14 into the tag base 12.