Thin-Film EAS Antenna for Seamless Floor Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional electronic article surveillance (EAS) systems face challenges in covering large areas, such as mall entrances or exits, due to the impracticality of installing wire loop antennas that require excavation and trenching, which is costly and inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
A thin antenna structure, made of thin film materials, that can be mounted under flooring without modifying the subfloor, serving as a transmitter, receiver, or transceiver, and is designed to be thin enough to fit between the substructure and covering, allowing for hermetic sealing and efficient electromagnetic field coverage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If wire loop antennas are used to cover large areas, then electromagnetic field coverage is improved, but installation complexity and cost increase due to excavation and trenching requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by using thin film materials to construct the antenna elements. The antenna is formed as a thin, flexible structure that can be installed between the subfloor and flooring without requiring excavation or trenching, thereby maintaining large area coverage while eliminating complex installation procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions the antenna from a traditional three-dimensional wire loop structure to a two-dimensional thin film structure. This dimensional change allows the antenna to be installed in a sandwich configuration between floor layers, avoiding the need for vertical excavation and trenching while maintaining effective electromagnetic field coverage across large areas
2Ease of operation
If wire loop antennas are installed above subfloor without excavation, then installation ease is improved, but additional concrete work is required to cover the antenna thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The thin film construction reduces the antenna thickness to minimal dimensions, allowing it to be sandwiched between subfloor and flooring without requiring additional concrete layers. This eliminates the need for floating concrete and creating gradual slopes, significantly simplifying both installation and subsequent finishing work
3Stress or pressure
If traditional pedestal antennas are used, then electromagnetic field intensity is improved, but adaptability to large openings is reduced due to size limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the antenna system into multiple thin film antenna elements that can be distributed across large openings. Each element maintains adequate electromagnetic field intensity while the collective array covers extensive areas, enabling adaptation to large mall entrances and exits that traditional single pedestal antennas cannot accommodate
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
Enables effective electromagnetic field coverage of large areas without the need for excavation, reducing installation costs and complexity while maintaining aesthetic and regulatory compliance.
Implementation Method 1
The present disclosure relates to antenna assemblies for electronic article surveillance (EAS) or radiofrequency identification (RFID) which are made of thin films and/or thin film materials
Data Source
AI summary
An antenna assembly is capable of being installed in a structure wherein the structure includes a covering and a substructure and the antenna assembly is configured with thin film materials to have a total thickness such that the antenna assembly can be disposed between the substructure and the covering. The antenna assembly may have a total thickness not greater than about 15 millimeters (mm), and may include at least one of a transmitter antenna, a transceiver antenna, and a receiver antenna. The receiver antenna may be configured as an air core antenna or a non-air core antenna. The receiver antenna may be configured as a non-air core receiver antenna in an internal compartment over or within a base insulating layer. The antenna assembly may be at least partially housed within a housing assembly of thin film materials so that both can be disposed between the substructure and the covering.