PROCEDURE FOR MANUFACTURING A CONTAINER WITH A DATA MEDIUM AND CONTAINER WITH A DATA MEDIUM

The invention refers to a procedure for manufacturing a container with a data medium, also transponder (for “transmitter more responder”) mentioned, with the characteristics of the generic term of the patent claim 1. the invention refers also to a container with a data medium, in particular with that erfindungsgemäß EN procedure is producible.

Pursuing and finding as mass products from plastics squirted bottle, fruit and/or material boxes, here in summary as containers designate, as well as identifying their contents in the river of logistics is from constant and increasing interest. Special attention finds the possibility with the owners of such packing products of integrating transponder into such a container a hidden (invisible). With such data medium, also mentioned (RFID = by radio frequency, thus over electromagnetic waves, identifiably), it to identify is possible for RFID transponders to find in an area assistance appropriate transmitters/receiver computer unit a certain container automatically and without direct view contact its filling. With (detection) a system from suitable transmitters/receivers one can pursue places of residence and routes of transportation. Such systems make possible in particular in groß EN places of transshipment automatic sorting and distributing of the transportation stream.

Transponder data media can be able to be deleted as only reading memory (ROM) implemented to be, whereby the data of the container (e.g. manufacturer, owner, production date, material) are stored once on electronic way and no more not changed, if necessary. There are however also transponders with electronically programmable or addressable memory, in which assistance of suitable transmitters always new data can be stored. Such data know e.g. respective contents, which a decline, place of destination or return date to concern. Also as theft safety devices transponders are usable. Usually there is purely passive elements, which do not need an own energy source, but are activatable to data exchange if necessary by the supplied radiation.

One finds closer information to RFID transponders under:

1. http://www.aimglobal.org/technologies/rfid/ in the Internet.

Against the background the problem, this places itself to unintentional or also intentional mechanical manipulation or destruction of the data media as inconspicuously as possible/protected to accommodate after possibility invisibly in the container.

WHERE 93/24381 describe a procedure for equipping a transport container squirted from plastic with a transponder, with which the latter is accommodated first in a housing and then with the housing with the material of the container is umspritzt.

Compared with the prices for the containers are quite high the prices for such protected transponders and their integration into the boxes. This is an obstacle for the industrial conversion of this actually favourable option. A purely physically very simple and inexpensive transponder design consists printed antenna, which in a special of one on a carrier substrate (foil) flat and flexible chip are integrated (so-called “Inlay”). These become from specialized manufacturers in groß EN quantities manufactured and for small prices offered. It would be of advantage, this simple data medium design directly, thus without housings or laminated protective layers or - foils into a container of the kind in speech to insert to be able.

Problematic is here however the compatibility lacking between the material, from which the containers are usually squirted (polyolefins such as HDPE= " high-density polyethylene or " PP = polypropylene), and the polyester material of the Inlays and/or their transparencies. These materials cannot be interconnected in a Umspritzungsvorgang permanently adhäsiv. Since furthermore the polyolefin material of the containers shrinks after the spraying procedure around approximately 1.8%, against what the transponder Inlay of this contraction does not follow, clearly perceptible bulges develop within the range of the umspritzten transponder.

The document WHERE 01/00 493 Al describes a solution, with which a flat (more folienförmiger) transponder between the actual material of the container and a label is attached, which label is inseparably connected with the container. The transponder can be taken up in a recess of a wall of the container. In a preferential execution form the transponder is connected with the label and fixed as an ensemble in the Spritzform, before the plastic mass is injected. Here a permanent connection between the container material and the unit from transponder and label develops.

However visible deformations can be not completely excluded due to the different contractioncontraction contractions after the spraying procedure also with this procedure, because the contraction steps also here größ ten percentage by volume of the container after connecting with the data medium.

The task is appropriate for the invention to reason to indicate an improved procedure for equipping a container as a data medium or a transponder to indicate as well as a container with which those are avoided problems managing specified.

This task becomes erfindungsgemä&szlig regarding the procedure; with the characteristics of the patent claim 1 solved. The characteristics of the patent claim 10 indicate an appropriate container. The characteristics that the independent requirements of subordinate in each case Unteransprüche indicate favourable further educations of the invention.

Erfindungsgemäß one places the final connection between the container and the data medium only after solidifying the container volume and the conclusion of the material-conditioned contraction ago (“post office mould process”), whereby however by following causing of a plastic cover material as sealing (Überformen, “overmoulding”) always a complete and if necessary äuß erlich/optically hardly perceptible integration of the data medium into the body of the container remains. Thus the necessary additional manufacturing step is more than compensated. Anyway the procedure leaves itself einschließ lich the attachment of the data medium completely mechanize.

In favourable training the container is squirted first with a recess, which is intended for taking up or embedding the data medium. This recess can be a break-through or preferentially only a niche-like recess in a wall of the container. It understands itself that at least the dimensions of the recess (at height, width and depth) should correspond to those of the data medium.

The data medium is preferably fixed to container material at the container assistance of a thin with that adhesive layer compatible provisionally. It would be however for example also possible to secure the data medium at the container purely mechanically for assistance of moulded on form elements (beginnings, retaining bars) without entry of adhesives provisionally. Such form elements make possible an exact positioning of the data medium at the container (assistance of a robot to e.g. take place can) as mechanical position coding beyond that also. Can natural be combined mechanical and adhäsive prefixing, if this from advantage appears.

The cover material can be in principle another material than the container material, and it does not have necessarily to be attached also by syringes.

It is preferred completely erfindungsgemäß however as “second SHOT” likewise in the form spraying procedure added. For this a further injection unit or a further form segment (with spraying channel) is used anyhow, which can be set/on the container with the prefixed data medium, in order to then fill up the formed cavity with the cover material. A particularly intimate connection between the container and the cover material develops, and the data medium is included surely and permanently. Mentioned cavity can do everyone zweckmäß ige shape have, which is needed for forming out the cover material whether this is to form now a smooth surface or a relief.

It would be conceivable to rationalize and automate the aforementioned form change assistance of a turning form, whereby that segment of the original form is only removed is replaced, which formed the range of the recess for the transponder, and - after using and provisional fixing of the transponder at the intended position by a form segment, which with essentially (and solidified) the container already formed out together the cavity necessary for the supply of the cover material forms.

It is also possible, for the prefabricated and with the data medium equipped containers after releasing from form into a separate special tool to insert. This can be provided with a cooling function, and covered in each case the place of the container, in which the data medium is arranged. Assistance of this tools is then injected the cover material in the desired form.

If the recess for the data medium should be implemented as break-through in the wall of the container, then nevertheless a contact surface for the data medium should be intended in which e.g. as circulating edition bar or - frame to be implemented could. Furthermore the Spritzwerkzeug for the cover material in this case the recess must reciprocally abschließ EN.

In each case the container remains after causing/moulding on the cover material so for a long time in the form for this used, until also the cover material solidified sufficiently cooled down and.

Naturally one selects a plastic compatible with the container material for the cover material, completely prefers the same material (a polyolefin such as HDPE or PP).

The connection between the cover material and the container can be still further improved, if that has flat and laminar trained data media/transponders at least a breaking through or a perforation, which can penetrate the cover material. In the comparison with the use of a total surface foil substrate with the fact the advantage is reached that the cover material not only approximately around the Auß enumfang the data medium around with the container material into contact comes, but by the perforation through also with at least one place of the surface range covered by the transponder.

Schließ lich the cover material in certain applications can have another colouring than the container material. Can assistance of a suitable cavity also to manufacturing/representing relief-like structures or forms be used, if necessary even as logo (printed, prefabricate-glued to) a label otherwise otherwise which can be applied be replaced.

Further details and advantages of the subject of the invention go themselves out of the design of remark examples and of them in the following anschließ ender detailed description out.

Show in more simplified, not maß stäblicher representation

Fig. 1

a cutaway view of a wall section of a container after forming out a nischenförmigen recess planned for taking up a data medium;

Fig. 2

the same cutaway view after inserting and provisional fixing of a flat data medium in the recess;

Fig. 3

the cutaway view after Fig. 2 after filling up the recess with a cover material;

Fig. 4

a variant to the Fig. 3, with the data media provided with a perforation with the cover material one covered and

Fig. 5

a further variant similar to Fig. 4, in which the cover material rises relief-like over the wall of the container.

In Fig. 1 one recognizes a section of a wall 1 of a container not explained further, which is manufactured by form syringes of a plastic mass. Here it can concern a bottle case, fruit pastes, a container for small material or bulk materials and such more. The use, the shape and the details of the container are however unimportant for the available invention, so that not with it continues to be to be dealt here.

Into a Auß enfläche of the wall 1 is in-formed a niche-like recess 3. The container is squirted here assistance of one only by a dash-dotted cutout suggested Spritzform 2. Within the range of the wall 1 their cavity has one the recess 3 appropriate positive formation 4.

Fig. 2 shows a data medium 5 of the initially described Inlay type arranged at the ground of the recess 3. It preferably concerns with an antenna and a memory chip provided and on a flat transparency an arranged passive RFID transponder of a marketable type. This data medium 5 is inserted after solidifying the container and at least partial opening of the Spritzform 2, if necessary after releasing the container from form, into the recess 3. In this example it is assistance of a thin (here not visible), adhesive layer from a material compatible with the container material provisionally fixed.

In Fig. the recess 3 filled out 3 with a cover material 7 is. The latter is preferably likewise combined by form syringes with the wall 1 of the container. For this one e.g. avails oneself (likewise only as cutout dash-dotted suggested) of a Spritzform 2 ', which covers the recess 3 together with the data medium 5. Assistance one into this Spritzform 2 of ' in-formed spraying channel 6 is injected the cover material 7 into the recess 3. Hernach covers it in such a manner the data medium 5 that he of auß EN is not visible. It understands itself that the Spritzform 2 is sufficiently sealed ' against the container wall 1, in order to prevent the unwanted withdrawing of the cover material 7 over the edge of the recess 3.

The total volume of the cover material 7 is in such a manner small at the same time in relation to the container that separately with the inevitable contraction of this volume around approximately 1.8% after that form syringes are not to be feared substantial deformations.

In a variant of the physical execution of a data medium 5 ' its carrier substrate can gemäß Fig. 4 provided with one or more perforations 9 its. The cover material 7 can penetrate these perforations. It can connect itself thus within the range covered by the data medium at least punctually directly with the ground of the recess 3.

Thereby a increased stability of the connection and a still better security are created against developing unwanted unevenness within the range of the cover material 7.

While the Fig. 3 and 4 a surface-concise conclusion of the cover material 7 with the adjacent Auß enfläche of the wall 1 show (it fills thus the recess 3 straight completely out, without over whose edge excerpt-mature), are in Fig. 5 the cover material 7 ' as raised relief implemented, and is also slightly over the edge of the recess 3 outside formed out. The data medium 5 ' and its definition in the recess 3 are not affected of it. However the cover material 7 forms ' in such an execution an additional design element of the container, e.g. a manufacturer or an owner logo. This äuß ere organization of the cover material is assistance of an accordingly formed out cavity of one opposite Fig. 3 modified Spritzform very simply producible.

Naturally the cover material 7 or 7 can have ' the same color as container material or also another color.

It is still marked that the data medium 5 ' assistance of the perforations 9 implemented in it could be attached also to if necessary 3 beginnings angeformte in the recess (not represented here), in order to fix it so provisionally purely mechanically.