Method of assembly of articles and intermediate created thereby
Articles on flexible webs with different pitches are assembled together by displacing portions between articles of one web out of plane to move the articles on that web to the same pitch as the other web, aligning the two webs to register corresponding articles on the two webs, and assembling the corresponding articles together. The assembly may be used for example in the making of RFID tags, labels and inlays.
1. An intermediate assembly, comprising: a first web having a plurality of first elements spaced apart a first distance, where the first web is a planar substrate defining a first plane; a second web having a plurality of second elements distinct from the first elements, adjacent second elements having an original pitch between one another on the second web, the original pitch being greater than the first distance; three or more planar portions of the second web defining a second plane that is parallel to the first plane, the second elements being located in a planar orientation upon the three or more planar portions of the second web and thus also defining the second plane, extending linearly along the x-axis, in a machine direction; intermittent other portions of the second web positioned between each of said plurality of second elements on the three or more planar portions of the second web are displaced relative to the three or more planar portions of the second web in an oblique direction which is not perpendicular to the first and second planes such that the second elements are disposed with a pitch that is less than the original pitch and is equal to the first distance between each of the first elements; and the first web disposed over the second web such that the first elements are juxtaposed over the second elements in a one to one relationship and either the first or second elements are RFID chips.
2. The intermediate assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second elements are antennas.
3. The intermediate assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first elements include one of chips, straps or interposers.
4. The intermediate assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second elements are RFID inlays.
5. The intermediate assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first elements are hang tag material.
6. The intermediate assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first elements are labels.
7. The intermediate assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first web and second web are constructed out of paper, plastic, or foil.
8. The intermediate assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first and second web are constructed out of different materials.
9. The intermediate assembly as recited in claim 1 , where a toothed wheel is impinged onto portions of the second web lying between second elements thereon to intermittently displace the second web out of the second plane.
10. The intermediate assembly as recited in claim 1 , where air or gas is impinged onto the second web.
11. The intermediate assemble of claim 1 , further comprising an adhesive used to adhere the first elements and the second elements together.