Rexam Healthcare Packaging Inc.

Owens-illinois Healthcare Packaging Inc.

Bprex Healthcare Packaging Inc.

Douglas W Abbott

Brian John Chisholm

John M Shingle

Bruce A Mohrmann

A container includes a container body having a sidewall and an end wall extending across the sidewall and closing an end of the container body. A retainer is received on the container body with a central portion of the retainer adjacent to the end wall of the container body and a flexible edge portion of the retainer engaging the sidewall of the container body at an angle to resist removal of the retainer away from the end wall. An RFID tag is disposed between the central portion of the retainer and the end wall of the container body. The retainer and the RFID tag may be disposed outside of the container body interior, but more preferably are disposed within the container body interior. The retainer preferably is imperforate, and the edge portion of the retainer preferably is in continuous peripheral contact with the container sidewall to seal the RFID tag from the container interior. In a preferred implementation, the container body is a molded plastic prescription vial having an annular sidewall, and the retainer is in continuous annular contact with the interior surface of the container sidewall to seal the RFID tag from the container interior.

Attachment of an RFID tag to a container

A method of making a plastic container having an RFID tag in a wall of the container includes providing a mold having a mold core and mounting an insert on the core. The insert includes an RFID tag surrounded by a plastic housing, which preferably is retained on the core for example by heat of the core partially melting the housing. A plastic preform is formed in the mold around the core and the insert, preferably by injection molding, such that the insert is embedded in a wall of the preform. The preform is then blow molded into a plastic container having the insert embedded in a wall of the container. The insert preferably is mounted on an end of the core such that the insert is in the base wall of the container following blow molding. The RFID tag preferably is externally covered by plastic material in the preform as molded, and in the container as blow molded, so that the RFID tag is not externally exposed in the preform or the container. The disclosure also contemplates a container preform and a blow molded plastic container manufactured in accordance with a method of the disclosure.

Molded plastic container and preform having insert-molded insert

An RFID assembly includes an RFID inlay, with an RFID tag, encapsulated within a plastic housing. The housing has a peripheral array of flexible resilient fingers for mounting the housing within a pocket on a support structure, such as a pocket on a mold core. The pocket preferably is on an end of the mold core so that the RFID assembly preferably is disposed substantially beneath the end surface of the mold core. Plastic material, which preferably is the same plastic material as forms the plastic housing in which the inlay is contained, can be injected into a mold cavity surrounding the mold core and the assembly housing without eroding the material of the housing.

Molded plastic container and preform having insert-molded RFID tag

A package includes a container having a neck finish, and a closure having a plastic shell with a skirt externally secured to the container neck finish. A seal disk includes a metal layer on a plastic substrate. The periphery of the plastic substrate is sealingly secured to the neck finish of the container. The metal layer includes a circumferentially continuous outer periphery overlying the periphery of the plastic substrate and an inner portion structured as an rf antenna. An RFID tag is electrically connected at least to the inner portion of the metal layer. A liner disk may be disposed between the closure and the seal disk separate from the seal disk. The closure skirt may have an internal bead to engage the periphery of the liner disk and lift the liner disk off of the neck finish upon removal of the closure from the container neck finish.

Closure and package with induction seal and RFID tag

A package includes a container having a neck finish, and a closure having a plastic shell with a skirt externally secured to the container neck finish. A seal disk includes a metal layer on a plastic substrate. The periphery of the plastic substrate is sealingly secured to the neck finish of the container. The metal layer of the seal disk includes a circumferentially continuous outer periphery overlying the outer periphery of the plastic layer and an interrupted inner portion within said outer periphery. An RFID assembly includes and an RFID tag electrically connected to an antenna. The RFID assembly is captured between the seal disk and the plastic shell, and the interruptions in the inner portion of the metal layer of the seal disk reduce or eliminate interference in communication between the RFID assembly and external interrogation circuitry. A liner disk may be disposed between the seal disk and the RFID assembly. The closure skirt may have an internal bead to engage a periphery of the liner disk and lift the liner disk off of the neck finish during removal of the closure from the container neck finish.

Growing community of inventors

Bowling Green, OH, United States of America

Douglas W Abbott