Intermec IP Corporation

David N Bledsoe

Duane M Fox

Pixie Ann Austin

Linerless label stock is fed to a printer that prints on the front face of the label stock and then to a media cutter . The cutter cuts the strip into discrete labels, which are fed to a tag application station . A strip of electronic tags is fed through an encoder that detects defective tags and then to a tag cutter that cuts the strip into discrete tags. Defective tags exiting the cutter are diverted away from the tag application station. Non-defective tags are conveyed to the tag application station where they are secured to the back face of labels.

RF tag application system

A system includes a method and apparatus for printing labels and applying electronic tags, e.g. RF tags, to the labels, and also includes the resulting labels. The apparatus comprises a label media supply station that receives a strip of label media. The back face of the media may have adhesive thereon, which may be protected by a liner. The media is conveyed to a print station for printing on the front face of the media. A strip of RF tags is conveyed from a tag supply station to a tag application station downstream of the print station. At the tag application station, an electronic tag is applied to the back face of a label that has been printed at the print station. Preferably, a tag strip bar defines the location at which a tag is brought into contact with the back face. The bar is configured to provide a sharp turn in a pathway for a liner portion of the strip of tags. This separates the liner from the tag as the tag is applied to the label. The printing and tag application portions of the apparatus may be provided in a single unit or separately, for example as a preexisting printer and an attachment therefor.

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Mukilteo, WA, United States of America

David N Bledsoe