Method and machine to assemble a transponder provided with a helical antenna in a component of an article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12469978-B2
Application number	US-202218580963-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2022
Priority date	Jul 23, 2021
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

Method and machine to assemble a transponder ( 9 ) provided with a helical antenna ( 11 ) in a component ( 1 ) of an article. The following are provided: a main conveyor ( 15 ) which is designed to move, along an assembling path (P) a carriage ( 16 ) carrying at least one seat ( 18 ) designed to house the component ( 1 ); an input station (S 1 ), which is arranged along the assembling path (P) and is configured to place the component ( 1 ) in the seat ( 18 ) of the carriage ( 16 ); a feeding station (S 4 ), which is arranged along the assembling path (P) downstream of the input station (SI) and is configured to couple an integrated circuit ( 10 ) provided to two electrical contacts ( 12 ) to the component ( 1 ); a winding station (S 5 ), which is arranged along the assembling path (P) downstream of the feeding station (S 4 ) and is configured to wind an externally insulated conductor wire ( 13 ) around the component ( 1 ) in order to obtain a series of turns making up the helical antenna ( 11 ); and a welding station (S 6 ), which is arranged along the assembling path (P) downstream of the winding station (S 5 ) and is configured to weld two opposite ends of the helical antenna ( 11 ) against the two electrical contacts ( 12 ) of the integrated circuit ( 10 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method to assemble a transponder ( 9 ) provided with a helical antenna ( 11 ) in a component ( 1 ) of an article; the method comprises the steps of:
moving, by means of a main conveyor ( 15 ) and along an assembling path (P), a carriage ( 16 ) carrying at least one seat ( 18 ) designed to house the component ( 1 ); placing, in an input station (S 1 ) arranged along the assembling path (P), the component ( 1 ) in the seat ( 18 ) of the carriage ( 16 ); coupling, in a feeding station (S 4 ) arranged along the assembling path (P) downstream of the input station (S 1 ), an integrated circuit ( 10 ) provided with two electrical contacts ( 12 ) to the component ( 1 ); winding, in a winding station (S 5 ) arranged along the assembling path (P) downstream of the feeding station (S 4 ), an externally insulated conductor wire ( 13 ) around the component ( 1 ) in order to obtain a series of turns making up the helical antenna ( 11 ); and welding, in a welding station (S 6 ) arranged along the assembling path (P) downstream of the winding station (S 5 ), two opposite ends of the helical antenna ( 11 ) to the two electrical contacts ( 12 ) of the integrated circuit ( 10 ).

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein winding the wire ( 13 ) comprises the steps of:
locking an initial end of the wire ( 13 ) by means of a first clamp ( 27 ) before starting to wind the wire ( 13 ); and locking a final end of the wire ( 13 ) by means of a second clamp ( 28 ) at the end of the winding of the wire ( 13 ).

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the first clamp ( 27 ) and the second clamp ( 28 ) are carried by a support plate ( 17 ) of the carriage ( 16 ), where the seat ( 18 ) is defined, are arranged under the seat ( 18 ).

4 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the first clamp ( 27 ) and the second clamp ( 28 ) open and close by means of a movement that is perpendicular to the assembling path (P) so that by closing bring the wire ( 13 ) into contact with the corresponding electrical contacts ( 12 ) of the integrated circuit ( 10 ).

5 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein winding the wire ( 13 ) comprises the steps of:
locking, before locking the initial end of the wire ( 13 ) by means of the first clamp ( 27 ), the initial end of the wire ( 13 ) also by means of a third clamp ( 31 ), which is arranged in a fixed position and externally to the main conveyor ( 15 ) in the area of the winding station (S 5 ) and under the first clamp ( 27 ); and locking, after having locked the final end of the wire ( 13 ) by means of the second clamp ( 28 ), the final end of the wire ( 13 ) also by means of a fourth clamp ( 32 ), which is arranged next to the third clamp ( 31 ) in a fixed position and externally to the main conveyor ( 15 ) in the area of the winding station (S 5 ) and under the second clamp ( 28 ).

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the third clamp ( 31 ) and the fourth clamp ( 32 ) open and close by means of a movement that is parallel to the assembling path (P).

7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the third clamp ( 31 ) and the fourth clamp ( 32 ) share a common jaw without movement arranged between the third clamp ( 31 ) and the fourth clamp ( 32 ).

8 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein winding the wire ( 13 ) comprises the steps of:
opening the fourth clamp ( 32 ) when the winding of the wire ( 13 ) around the component ( 1 ) has been started; and vertically moving downwards a movable finger ( 41 ) which is arranged below the third clamp ( 31 ) and the fourth clamp ( 32 ) to remove an initial end of the wire ( 13 ) from the open fourth clamp ( 32 ).

9 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein winding the wire ( 13 ) comprises the further step of cutting, by means of a movable blade arranged between the second clamp ( 28 ) and the fourth clamp ( 32 ), the final end of the wire ( 13 ) after the final end of the wire ( 13 ) has been locked both by the second clamp ( 28 ) and by the fourth clamp ( 32 ).

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the movable blade moves back and forth by means of a movement that is parallel to the assembling path (P).

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein winding the wire ( 13 ) comprises the further step of moving the wire ( 13 ) by means of a movable finger ( 34 ), which engages the wire ( 13 ) in a sliding manner.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the movable finger ( 34 ) has a tubular shape having a central hole, which passes through the movable finger ( 34 ) from side to side and inside which the wire ( 13 ) is arranged.

13 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein winding the wire ( 13 ) comprises the steps of:
placing the movable finger ( 34 ) with a horizontal orientation when the wire ( 13 ) has to be vertically moved in order to rise while getting close to the component ( 1 ) or in order to lower while moving away from the component ( 1 ); and placing the movable finger ( 34 ) with a vertical orientation when the wire ( 13 ) has to be horizontally moved in order be wound around the component ( 1 ).

14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein winding the wire ( 13 ) comprises the steps of:
bending, before starting to wind the wire ( 13 ), the wire ( 13 ) that vertically rises towards the component ( 1 ) around a first pin ( 7 ), which horizontally projects from the component ( 1 ), in order to cause the wire ( 13 ) to make a 90° turn, which deflects the wire ( 13 ) towards a horizontal orientation; and bending, after having ended winding the wire ( 13 ), the horizontally arranged wire ( 13 ) around a second pin ( 8 ), which horizontally projects from the component ( 1 ), in order to cause the wire ( 13 ) to make a 90° turn, which deflects the wire ( 13 ) towards a vertical orientation.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the first pin ( 7 ) is arranged in the area of an upper wall ( 2 ) of the component ( 1 ) and the second pin ( 8 ) is arranged in the area of a lower wall ( 3 ) of the component ( 1 ).

16 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the first pin ( 7 ) is arranged in the area of a lower wall ( 3 ) of the component ( 1 ) and the second pin ( 8 ) is arranged in the area of an upper wall ( 2 ) of the component ( 1 ).

17 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein winding the wire ( 13 ) comprises the steps of:
placing on the first pin ( 7 ) a first containment body ( 39 ) which extends the first pin ( 7 ) before bending the wire ( 13 ) around the first pin ( 7 ); and placing a second containment body ( 40 ) on the second pin ( 8 ) which extends the second pin ( 8 ) before bending the wire ( 13 ) around the second pin ( 8 ).

18 . The method according to claim 1 and comprising the further step of applying, in an application station (S 3 ) arranged between the input station (S 1 ) and the feeding station (S 4 ), an adhesive means on the component ( 1 ), said adhesive means being designed to cause the integrated circuit ( 10 ) to adhere to the component ( 1 ).

19 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the seat ( 18 ) houses the component ( 1 ) in a projecting manner so that the component ( 1 ) partially protrudes from the carriage ( 16 ) leaving part of a lower wall ( 3 ) of the component ( 1 ) free; and in the feeding station (S 4 ), the integrated circuit ( 10 ) is coupled, from the bottom to the top, to the free part of the lower wall ( 3 ) of the component ( 1 ).

20 . The method according to

Assignees

• G D Societa′ Per Azioni
• Gd Spa

Inventors

• Boldrini Fulvio

Classifications

• H01Q1/36

  Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; {Particular materials used therewith}(H01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q11/08 Primary

  Helical antennas · CPC title

• G06K19/07732 Primary

  the record carrier having a housing or construction similar to well-known portable memory devices, such as SD cards, USB or memory sticks (housings for electrical equipment in general, see H05K5/02) · CPC title