Packaging material with radiofrequency tag

A packaging material is described hereafter, particularly corrugated paper or corrugated board having a radio-frequency identification tag, a method for manufacturing such material and a system for manufacturing such material.

Radio-frequency tags (also known as RFID tags , from "Radio-frequency identification") are known to be attached to package for tracking and identifying such packages during handling and stockage.

In prior art, RFID tags may be directly attached by convenient adhesive products to the package thereof.

This prior art arrangement has various drawbacks . Particularly, RFID tags may be easily damaged or tampered.

Also, for certain types of products , the presence of a visible tag on the package may be aesthetically unpleasing and anyway undesirable for marketing purposes. The object of this invention is to obviate at least some of such prior art drawbacks.

Such object is fulfilled by a packaging material having the features of claim 1, a method for manufacturing a packaging material having the features of claim 6 and a system for manufacturing a packaging material having the

features of claim 8.

Further advantages may be achieved by the additional features of the dependent claims .

A possible embodiment of the packaging material, and of the method and the system for manufacturing a RFID tagged laminated material, as claimed in the attached claims, will be described hereafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional side view of a RFID tagged cardboard;

Figure 2 is a sectional side view of a RFID tagged corrugated papers- Figure 3 is a front view of a cardboard; Figure 4 is a schematic view of the system for manufacturing the corrugated cardboard or paper.

Referring to the drawings , Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the packaging material 1 made of corrugated board, comprising at least one flat sheet 2 and at least one corrugated sheet 4. The cardboard contains at least one RFID tag 6 interposed between the flat sheet 2 and the corrugated sheet 4.

Thus, the RFID tag 6 is invisible and protected, whereby the risk that said tag may be damaged or tampered is reduced.

Figure 2 shows an alternative embodiment of a packaging material 1 made of a corrugated sheet.

A marker 7 (preferably printed or alternatively punched) may be provided on the packaging material, to allow identification of RPID tagged corrugated boards or sheets as distinct from conventional corrugated boards and sheets .

These markers may also possibly allow location of the tags 6 to facilitate the later steps of cutting the packaging material and/or processing the packaging material to form packages (for instance in the manufacture of boxes) so that the RFID tag is located in a certain position of the package.

The packaging material 1 is obtained by means of a process comprising the steps of: - feeding at least one flat sheet 2 and one corrugated sheet 4 ; interposing at least one RFID tag 6 between the flat sheet 2 and the corrugated sheet 4; coupling the flat sheet 2 and the corrugated sheet 4 together.

A further step may be provided to form a marker 7 for each tag 6, for identifying the presence of said radiofrequency tag 6.

Any such marker 7 may also be located in such a manner as to allow detection of the tag 6 with respect to at least

one coordinate (typically in the direction of the cardboard' s length) .

The packaging material 1 may be manufactured by a system comprising: - means 20, 21 for feeding at least one flat sheet 2 and one corrugated sheet 4; means 22 for interposing at least one RFID tag 6 between the flat sheet 2 and the corrugated sheet 4 ; means 24, 25 for coupling the flat sheet 2 and the corrugated sheet 4 together.

Conveniently, such system may include means 23 for applying at least one marker 3 on at least one side of the corrugated cardboard or paper.