Method of manufacturing an article comprising at least one electronic chip

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of manufacturing an article comprising a fiber layer and at least one electronic chip, the fiber layer being formed by depositing fibers on a surface immersed in a dispersion of fiber material. The method includes the following step: Using an elongate flexible support to bring the electronic chip into contact with the fiber layer that is being formed.

1 . A method of manufacturing an article comprising a fiber layer and at least one electronic chip, the fiber layer being formed by depositing fibers on a surface, the method comprising:
 using an elongate flexible film carrying the at least one electronic chip to bring the at least one electronic chip into contact with the surface on which the fiber layer is being formed,   wherein the film remains in contact with the fiber layer in the article manufactured.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the film and the at least one electronic chip are integrated in the fiber layer without giving rise to perceptible extra thickness thereof. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the film does not conduct electricity, at least in a location of the at least one electronic chip. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the film has a width lying in a range of 1 mm to 50 mm. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 4 , wherein the film has a width lying in the range of 1 mm to 10 mm. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the film is covered completely by fibers of said fiber layer. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein a heat-sealable varnish is deposited on the film. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 7 , wherein the film comprises two faces both coated with the heat-sealable varnish. 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 7 , wherein the varnish is raised to a temperature sufficiently high during manufacture by means of heat from the rollers with which the fiber layer comes into contact to improve the adherence of the film to the fiber layer. 
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one face of said fiber layer is covered by a supplemental layer. 
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein the supplemental layer is fibrous. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein the supplemental layer is non-fibrous. 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said surface is formed on a partially immersed rotary wire cylinder of a cylinder machine. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one electronic chip is fixed on the film. 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein the at least one electronic chip is fixed on the film by adhesive. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the film is made by cutting up into strips a sheet, the at least one electronic chip comprising electronic chips stuck on the sheet. 
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 16 , wherein the electronic chips are placed on the sheet so as to be regularly spaced apart on the film. 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one electronic chip is connected to an antenna comprising at least one turn. 
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 18 , wherein the antenna is carried by the film. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 19 , wherein the antenna extends around the at least one electronic chip on the film. 
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the antenna is disposed on the at least one electronic chip itself. 
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the film and the at least one electronic chip do not have any antenna. 
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 22 , wherein the antenna is made on the fiber layer after said layer has been formed. 
     
     
         24 . A method according to  claim 23 , wherein the antenna is made by performing the following steps:
 using an electrically conductive ink to make a series of turns on one face of the fiber layer;   using an electrically insulating ink to make an electrically insulating bridge over the turns;   using an electrically conductive ink to make an electrically conductive track on the bridge, the track being connected to one of the ends of the turns; and   using an electrically conductive resin to connect the at least one electronic chip to the electrically conductive track and to the other end of the turns.   
     
     
         25 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one electronic chip is based on silicon. 
     
     
         26 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one electronic chip is configured to enable data to be transmitted without contact. 
     
     
         27 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the film is made of polyester. 
     
     
         28 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the fiber layer is the only fiber layer in the article. 
     
     
         29 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the article comprises at least two superposed fiber layers, assembled together by lamination, one of the layers comprising the at least one electronic chip. 
     
     
         30 . A method according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 using the flexible film to introduce the at least one electronic chip into a first suspension of fibers while making a first web of paper in a paper-making machine, the film having no antennas and being introduced partway through the thickness of the first web of paper so that the at least one electronic chip is not entirely covered by fibers on one side of the web, the remainder of the at least one electronic chip being embedded in the thickness of the paper;   providing the resulting web of paper with an antenna for the at least one electronic chip;   using an electrically conductive resin to connect the antenna to the at least one electronic chip;   using a second suspension of fibers to make a second web of paper by using an endless wire machine or a cylinder machine; and   laminating the two previously-made webs together with the at least one electronic chips situated on the inside.   
     
     
         31 . A method according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 fixing the at least one electronic chip on a sheet of film, wherein the film has electrically insulating properties at least in the location of the at least one electronic chip;   connecting the at least one electronic chip to an antenna;   cutting the sheet of film into strips each comprising the at least one electronic chip and the antenna; and   introducing the strips into paper formed by uniting two webs, the strip being introduced into the thickness of the first web so that the at least one electronic chip is embedded in the first web with a side facing away from the strip being flush with one side of said first web, the remainder of the strip being embedded in the thickness of the paper, the second web covering the first web on a side of the at least one electronic chip.   
     
     
         32 . A method according to  claim 31 , wherein the film comprises a coating in a heat-sealable varnish on both faces. 
     
     
         33 . A method according to  claim 31 , comprising:
 forming on the film a plurality of antennas disposed at regular intervals.   
     
     
         34 . A method according to  claim 31 , wherein the at least one electronic chip comprises a plurality of electronic chips disposed at regular intervals on the film. 
     
     
         35 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the film, the at least one electronic chip, or a possible antenna, comprises at least one authentication element. 
     
     
         36 . A method according to  claim 35 , wherein the authentication element is selected from amongst compounds that are magnetic, opaque, or visible in transmission, compounds that emit light under white, ultraviolet or infrared light. 
     
     
         37 . A method according to  claim 35 , wherein the at least one electronic chip comprises at least one of a varnish and an encapsulation having at least one authentication element. 
     
     
         38 . A method according to  claim 35 , wherein the at least one authentication element comprises at least one compound that emits light under near-infrared light. 
     
     
         39 . An article obtained by implementing the method according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         40 . An article according to  claim 39 , forming a cardboard pack. 
     
     
         41 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the surface on which the fibers are deposited during formation of the fiber layer is immersed in a dispersion of fiber material. 
     
     
         42 . A method according to  claim 41 , wherein the film is placed in such a manner that the at least one electronic chip comes into contact with said surface prior to immersion of the surface in the dispersion of fiber material. 
     
     
         43 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the film is completely embedded in the fiber layer. 
     
     
         44 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the film extends from a first edge of the article to a second edge opposite to the first. 
     
     
         45 . A method of manufacturing an article comprising at least one fiber layer and at least one electronic chip, the fiber layer being formed by depositing fibers on a surface, the method comprising:
 bringing an elongate flexible film carrying the at least one electronic chip into contact with the fiber layer that is being formed,   wherein the film remains in contact with the fiber layer in the article manufactured and the at least one electronic chip is not entirely covered by the fiber layer in the article manufactured.   
     
     
         46 . A method according to  claim 45 , wherein the at least one electronic chip is embedded in the fibers with the side facing away from the strip being flush with the fiber layer in the manufactured article. 
     
     
         47 . An article comprising:
 a fiber layer coming from a single web of paper,   a film extending continuously between two ends of the article, and   an electronic chip carried by the film, the film being completely covered by the fibers of the fiber layer, and the electronic chip not being completely covered by the fibers of the fiber layer.   
     
     
         48 . An article comprising
 at least two layers comprising at least one fiber layer,   a strip of film received in the at least one fiber layer,   an electronic chip carried by the strip in a thickness of the fiber layer, and   an antenna electrically connected to the electronic chip, said antenna being situated at the interface between the at least two layers, said strip being completely covered by the fibers of the fiber layer, the strip extending continuously between two edges of the article and the article not presenting any perceptible extra thickness over the strip or the electronic chip, said electronic chip coming flush with the face of the at least one fiber layer that is in contact with the other layer.   
     
     
         49 . A method of manufacturing an article comprising at least one fiber layer and at least one electronic chip, the method comprising:
 forming the fiber layer by depositing fibers on a surface,   using an elongate flexible film carrying the at least one electronic chip to bring the at least one electronic chip into contact with the fiber layer, the film comprising a coating of a heat-sealable varnish, and   raising the varnish to a temperature sufficiently high during manufacture by means of heat from the rollers with which the fiber layer comes into contact.   
     
     
         50 . A method according to  claim 49 , wherein the at least one electronic chip comprises an integrated induction antenna comprising at least one turn. 
     
     
         51 . A method according to  claim 49 , wherein the at least one electronic chip is not covered entirely with the fibers of the fiber layer. 
     
     
         52 . An article comprising:
 a fiber layer coming from a single web of paper,   film carrying at least one electronic chip, the film extending between two ends of the article within the fiber layer, and   a coating of an activated heat-sealable varnish deposited on the film.   
     
     
         53 . An article according to  claim 52 , wherein the at least one electronic chip comprises an integrated induction antenna comprising at least one turn.