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(11) | EP 3 284 358 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | ARTICLE PROVIDED WITH AN RFID DEVICE AND A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SUCH AN ARTICLE. |
| (57) The present disclosure relates to an article (100) provided with an RFID device (12),
said article (100) including: a binder-impregnated carbon fiber body; a covering layer
(20) made of electrically non-conductive or insulating material and adapted to be
impregnated by said binder; the RFID device (12) and a shielding layer (14) adapted
to form a screen for said RFID device. The covering layer (20), the RFID device (12)
and the shielding screen (14) are superimposed to form a multilayer configuration
and are embedded in the fiber body. Moreover the carbon-fiber body has one side or
surface accessible for reading said RFID device (12). In the multilayer configuration,
starting from said side or surface, the covering layer (20), the RFID device (12)
and the shielding layer (14) are arranged in that order.
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[0001] The present disclosure relates in general to an article or manufactured item, preferably a wearable article, such as a crash helmet. The article includes an AIDC (automatic identification and data capture) structure for identifying and/or storing automatically information relating to objects, animals or persons. The structure includes a technology based on the data storage capacity of particular electronic labels, called tags (or also transponders or electronic keys) and on their capacity to respond to remote interrogation by special fixed or portable apparatuses, called readers (or also interrogators). Basically they consist of devices which allow the identification of information by means of radiofrequency, as a result of which a reader is able to communicate and/or update the information contained in the tag which is being interrogated, the reader being able not only to read, but also to write information.
[0002] More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an article, preferably a wearable article, including an RFID (Radio-Frequency IDentification) device.
[0003] In the continuation of the present disclosure, description and claims, the term "RFID device" is understood as meaning a generic wireless reading and/or writing device with a plurality of applications, including also standard NFC (Near Field Communication, 13.56 MHz and up to 10 cm, but with a data transmission speed of up to 424 kbit/s) which allows data exchange also between readers.
[0005] It is known to associate an RFID device with the cap of a crash helmet so that it is readable from the outside of the helmet. The device allows storage of all the information about the helmet and may be interrogated by a user so as to acquire, for example, the history of the helmet and the respective technical information.
[0006] Positioning of the RFID device so as to be accessible and readable on the outer side of a helmet is affected by a drawback due to the fact that a helmet is normally made of composite material including carbon, such as carbon fiber.
[0007] A known problem of radiofrequencies, is the absorption of the waves following the arrangement of conductive materials, including composite carbon-containing materials, between and/or close to the source and the receiver.
[0008] There exists in the present state of the art a technology which is able to minimize this absorption. This technology envisages positioning a shielding part, for example a magnetic shielding sheet, on the outside of the helmet between the outer surface of the helmet and the RFID device. In particular, at the time of manufacture of the helmet, the shielding part and the RFID device, superimposed on the shielding part, are positioned on the bottom of a mold in that order.
[0009] Then the entire mold is filled with carbon fibers. In order to form the cap, the fibers are soaked with epoxy resin in the liquid state which, upon cooling, hardens. The epoxy resin penetrates between the fibers and also coats the dual-layer structure formed by the shielding part and the RFID device so as to form a single body in which all the components are embedded in the epoxy resin.
[0010] When the cap is removed from the mold, a thin film of epoxy resin coats the outer side of the shielding part, which is in turn situated above the RFID device.
[0011] The author of the present disclosure has realized that the presence of the shielding part may trigger delamination of the epoxy resin which negatively affects the safety and the quality of the product. In others words the epoxy resin may flake from the part, compromising stable fixing of the RFID device and the said shielding part.
[0012] One technical problem underlying the present disclosure is that of providing an article, preferably a wearable article, including an RFID device and the associated manufacturing process which is able to overcome at least one of the drawbacks described above and/or which provides further advantages.
[0013] This technical problem is solved by an article and by a process as defined in the respective independent claims. Secondary aspects of the present disclosure are defined in the dependent claims.
[0014] In accordance with the present disclosure an article provided with RFID device is proposed. The article includes a binder-impregnated carbon fiber body; a covering layer made of non-conductive material and adapted to be impregnated by said binder; the RFID device; and a shielding layer adapted to form a screen for said RFID device. The covering layer, the RFID device and the shielding layer are superimposed to form a multilayer configuration and are embedded in the fiber body. Moreover, the carbon fiber body has a side or surface accessible for reading said RFID device. In the multilayer configuration, starting from said side or surface, the covering layer, the RFID device and the shielding layer are arranged in that order. In other words, an article according to the present disclosure includes a carbon fiber body having an inner side and an outer side, which is therefore accessible from the outside for reading the RFID. The article also includes a multilayer structure. The multilayer includes, starting from said outer side, a covering layer made of an electrically non-conductive or electrically neutral material and adapted to be impregnated with epoxy resin or other binder, an RFID device and a shielding layer. The multilayer structure is embedded in the epoxy resin fiber body, and the covering layer is also impregnated with epoxy resin or other thermosetting polymer.
[0015] The covering layer is made of an electrically non-conductive or thermally insulating material, for example fiberglass. The multilayer structure is permanently bonded to the carbon fiber body, precisely owing to the fact that the covering layer may be impregnated with binder, without however interfering with reading of the RFID device. The permanent bond may be obtained by means of epoxy resin. The expression "permanent" is understood as meaning that the multilayer structure forms a single body with the remaining portion of the manufactured article and may not be separated, except by means of a violent action. Positioning of the covering layer adapted to be impregnated with epoxy resin prevents delamination of the epoxy resin (which allows embedding of the entire structure, allowing moreover "embedding" of both the RFID device and the shielding part (magnetic shielding sheet) or other shielding layer.
[0016] The term "impregnate" or "impregnated" is understood as meaning in the context of the present disclosure that the epoxy resin or other binder in the fluid state spreads inside the materials with which it comes into contact, such as the covering layer and the fiber body, so as to allow, following hardening of the binder, the formation of a single body including the fiber body, the covering layer, the RFID device and the covering layer. The term "shielding" is understood as meaning in the context of the present disclosure that the part or other element, which may be used, have the function of protecting reading of the RFID device from possible interference due to the presence of conductive materials.
[0017] In one embodiment, the article is a wearable article, such as a helmet. In this case, the carbon fiber body has a cap-like form.
[0018] Moreover, in accordance with the present disclosure a process for the production of an article including an RFID device is provided. The process envisages:
arranging in a mold a covering layer made of an electrically non-conductive material or a neutral electric conductor and adapted to be impregnated with epoxy resin or other binder;
superimposing on said covering layer an RFID device;
superimposing on said RFID device a shielding layer;
placing in the mold a plurality of carbon fiber layers;
pouring epoxy resin or other fluid with a binder function in a fluid state into the mold so that the epoxy resin or other binder soaks into the carbon fibers and into the covering layer.
[0019] The advantages of a process according to the present disclosure are as follows:
- possibility of "embedding" the RFID device in the manufactured article already during production of the manufactured article;
- elimination of the problem of loss and/or mixing of the RFID devices which are removably mounted on the manufactured article;
- possibility of reading the RFID device from the outside of the manufactured article, namely the outer side which is the aesthetic and visible part of a helmet.
- Owing to the fact that embedding is performed during production, standard data identification and storage structures may be obtained and it is therefore possible to program a single system for reading the RFID device suitable for all the types of helmet structures.
[0020] It is also to be understood that the scope of the present disclosure includes all the possible combinations of the embodiments indicated above and of those described with reference to the following detailed description.
[0021] Reference will now be made to the figures in the attached drawings in which:
- Figure 1 shows a laterally sectioned view of a portion of an article obtained by means of a process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
- Figures 2A-2C show respective views of starting elements for implementing a process according to an embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure;
- Figure 3 shows an intermediate component after processing of the components shown in Figures 2A-2C;
- Figure 4 shows a component obtained from a processing step following that shown in Figure 3;
- Figure 5 shows a rear view of a helmet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0022] With reference to the attached figures, the reference number 100 indicates an article according to the present disclosure which in the example shown in Figure 5 is a helmet. The helmet 100 includes an outer rigid cap 102 made of a composite material including carbon fibers.
[0023] The cap 102 is understood as being a carbon fiber body having an inner side adapted to be directed towards a user and an outer side opposite to the inner side. The outer side is an extrados side of the cap 102 and the inner side is an intrados side of the cap 102. The outer side 101 is a visible side and is intended to be accessible from the outside.
[0024] In accordance with the present disclosure, the helmet 100 includes a data identification and storage structure. Such a structure or configuration is a multilayer structure which occupies a small part of the surface accessible from the outside 101.
[0025] The multilayer structure or multilayer configuration includes, starting from said outer side 101, a covering layer 20 made of a material suitable for being impregnated with epoxy resin 30, an RFID device 12 and a shielding layer 14 or preferably a shielding sheet. The multilayer structure 10 is embedded in the fiber body 40 and in the epoxy resin 30, and the covering layer 20 is impregnated with epoxy resin 30. The covering layer 20 is preferably transparent to allow easy identification of the RFID device on the outer side 101. Moreover the fact of being able to see the RFID device on the outer side 101 gives the helmet 100 the appearance of a technological article which is reliable and allows data traceability. In fact, a user may realize that data about the helmet (including the history of the helmet) may be saved in the article 100 and may be read at any moment.
[0026] Consequently, with reference to Figure 1, starting from an outer side 101, preferably in a restricted or smaller region of the fiber body 40, the cap 102 includes a covering layer 20 impregnated with epoxy resin, or other binder, the RFID device 12 and the shielding layer 14. The assembly is embedded in the mass formed by fibers 40 of carbon or epoxy resin or other binder.
[0027] Figure 3 shows a view, as though it were a view from the inner side of the RFID device 12 and the covering layer 20. Figure 4 shows the RFID device arranged on the covering layer 20 and closed by the shielding layer 14. Figure 4 also show a view from an inner side of the cap 102, so that the stratification may be seen.
[0028] The covering layer 20 may be made of any material which may be impregnated with the binder and is made of an electrically non-conductive material. It may consists of a fiber, such as fiberglass, kevlar, polystyrene or polyene.
[0029] Instead of the epoxy resin 30 it is possible to use any other component having a binder function or having the function of bonding the parts. This material must be able to soak into the fiber body 40 made of electrically conductive material and into the covering layer 20 made of electrically non-conductive material and allows the RFID 12 to be completely embedded and kept stably in position.
[0030] Incorporation of the multilayer structure may be performed at the moment of production of the helmet 100, so as to perform straightaway positioning of the covering layer 20, the RFID device 12 and the shielding layer 14.
Seen from another point of view, in particular the RFID device 12 and the shielding layer 14 are therefore enclosed in sandwich form between an outer surface 101 (visible side) of the manufactured item or article 100 formed by the fiber covering layer 20 and the carbon fiber body 40.
A process for making the helmet 100 is described below.
[0032] On the bottom of the mold, in a zone intended to receive the RFID device, the following are arranged in order: a covering layer made of electrically non-conductive material and adapted to be impregnated with epoxy resin or other binder or material with a binding function; the RFID device 12 is superimposed on said covering layer 20, followed by a shielding element 14. Then a plurality of layers of carbon fibers are arranged inside the mold. Then epoxy resin or other binder material in a fluid state is poured into the mold so that the epoxy resin or binder soaks into the carbon fibers 40 and into the covering layer 20.
[0033] Owing to the presence of the covering layer 20 and its respective position on the outer side, incorporation of all the parts in the binder may be obtained without the risk of flaking.
[0034] It is also pointed out that, in the article 100, the covering layer 20 does not project from said side or surface of the fiber body 102 and in this way the further likelihood of any flaking is prevented.
[0035] It can be noted in Figure 5 that the fiberglass covering layer 20 becomes transparent when the epoxy resin hardens and therefore allows the RFID device 12 to be seen and easily identified from the outside for reading thereof.
[0036] The subject-matter of the present disclosure has been described hitherto with reference to preferred embodiments thereof. It is to be understood that other embodiments relating to the same inventive idea may exist, all of these falling within the scope of protection of the claims which are attached below.
1. Article (100) provided with an RFID device (12), said article (100) including:
the article (100) or the carbon fiber body has a side or surface (101) accessible for reading said RFID device (12), and wherein in the above multilayer configuration, starting from said side or surface (101), the covering layer (20), the RFID device (12) and the shielding layer (14) are arranged in that order.
- a binder-impregnated carbon fiber body (102);
- a covering layer (20) made of electrically non-conductive or electrically neutral material and adapted to be impregnated by said binder;
- the RFID device (12) and
- a shielding layer (14) adapted to form a screen for said RFID device;
wherein the covering layer (20), the RFID device (12) and the shielding layer (14) are superimposed to form a multilayer configuration and are embedded in the fiber body (102), whereinthe article (100) or the carbon fiber body has a side or surface (101) accessible for reading said RFID device (12), and wherein in the above multilayer configuration, starting from said side or surface (101), the covering layer (20), the RFID device (12) and the shielding layer (14) are arranged in that order.
2. Article (100) according to claim 1, wherein the fiber body (102) is a cap-shaped body,
and said side or surface is an extrados side of the cap.
3. Article (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the binder is epoxy resin.
4. Article (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the covering layer
(20) is made of fiber.
5. Article (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the covering layer
(20) is made of fiberglass, kevlar, polystyrene or polyene.
6. Article (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the covering layer
(20) does not project from said side or surface (101) of the fiber body (102).
7. Article (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said article is
part of a wearable article.
8. Article (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said article is
a cap of a crash helmet.
9. Article (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said side or surface
(101) of the fiber body (102) is a visible surface or side.
10. Article (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the covering layer
(20), the RFID device (12) and the shielding layer (14) occupy a limited area of the
fiber body (102), or a smaller area than an area of the fiber body (102).
11. Process for the production of an article including an RFID device (12), wherein the
process envisages:
- preparing a mold;
- arranging in said mold a covering layer (20) made of electrically non-conductive or electrically neutral material and adapted to be impregnated by said binder;
- superimposing on said covering layer (20) an RFID device (12);
- superimposing on said RFID device (12) a shielding layer (14);
- placing in the mold a plurality of carbon fiber layers (40), so that the carbon fibers (40) overlap or cover the shielding layer (14), the RFID device (12) and the covering layer (20), and,
- pouring a binder in a fluid state into the mold so that the binder soaks at least into the carbon fibers and the covering layer.
12. Process according to claim 11, wherein said process is used for the manufacture of
a part of a wearable device.
13. Process according to claim 11, wherein said process is used for the manufacture of
a cap of a crash helmet.
14. Process according to any one of the preceding claims 11 to 13, wherein, once removed
from the mold, a fiber body (102) is obtained, the fiber body (102) having the covering
layer (20) which is located on an outer side (101) or is accessible from the outside.