AU2013224724B2 - Identification tags - Google Patents

Abstract

-10 In Figure 7 two tags (1 a and 1 b) are shown about to form part of a strip of tags. Each tag has 5 its respective front-facing capsule (15a, 15b) which is adapted to accommodate a respective RFID component (13), before insertion into a hollow body (2) of a tag immediately in front. By utilising discrete tags (1 a, 1 b) to form a strip of tags any required identification means may be utilised for the respective tags of a strip. This may include the use of different colours, different RFID components or the presence or absence of RFID components in selected tags.

Description

303123384 MH509516AUPR 2013224724 28 Apr 2017 1

IDENTIFICATION TAGS

Background of the Invention 5 The present invention relates to improvements in and relating to identification tags and particularly but not exclusively to animal identification tags.

In our New Zealand patent 577476 there is described and claimed a pump-action animal tag applicator which is able to apply an individual tag to an animal, a strip of such tags being loaded 0 into the applicator for this purpose.

When a user operates the applicator of that patent, the strip of tags is moved forward until the frontmost tag reaches the tagging position when it is applied to the animal, typically the animal’s ear, and separated from the remaining tags of the strip. 5

As described in our New Zealand patent 577476, the individual tags are all connected together to form the strip, the connection being a portion of plastics material from which the tags have been manufactured. In that the tags are manufactured in the form of the strip, each tag is identical so that such strips of tags are totally suitable for any tagging operations where an 0 animal does not need to have some particularly unique identifier, other than some indicia such as a number, featured on the tag.

Such strips of tags are therefore not suitable for use where an individual tag is required to provide some particularly unique identification of an animal, such as where an individual tag 25 may need to accommodate an individual RFID transponder and/or may need to be of different appearance from one or more of the other tags of the strip, such as having a different colour.

There may also be a need to tag an animal with an RFID tag and/or a tag of a particular colour in one ear and the same animal with a non-RFID tag and/or a tag of another colour, in the other 30 ear.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide identification tags, and particularly animal identification tags, which will overcome, or at least obviate, problems with tags presently proposed, or which at least will provide the public with a useful choice. 35 -2- 2013224724 28 Apr 2017

Further objects of this invention, in ail its embodiments, may become apparent from the following description.

In this description, our New Zealand patent specification 577476 is incorporated herein in its 5 entirety, where appropriate.

Summary of the Invention

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an identification tag adapted 0 to form a strip of tags, including a front portion and a rear portion, an at least partially flexible portion extending from at, or adjacent, said rear portion over a body portion of said tag and towards said front portion, an end portion of said flexible portion including a downwardly depending male tag portion which, in use, is engageable with a female tag portion provided towards said front portion, a part of said tag being adapted, in use, to be engageable with a said 5 front portion of a next following one of said tags so that a plurality of said tags can form a strip of said tags, in which a capsule forms part of said front portion of said tag and is adapted to engage with said part of a tag immediately in front.

Preferably said body portion includes a chamber adapted in use to accommodate an RFID 0 component.

Preferably, said chamber of one tag is adapted in use to accommodate a forwardly directed capsule of the next following tag, said capsule being adapted in use to accommodate the RFID component. 5

According to a second aspect of the present invention a strip of identification tags includes a plurality of tags as defined in any of the three paragraphs immediately above which have been interconnected. 30 Preferably, said body portion of one tag is adapted to accommodate and engage with said forwardly directed capsule of said next following tag in forming said strip.

Preferably, at least some of the tags of the strip will be of one or more different colours. 35 According to a still further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tag and/or a strip of tags, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. -3- 2013224724 28 Apr 2017

Further aspects of this invention, which should be considered in all its novel aspects, will become apparent from the following description, given by way of example of possible embodiments thereof, and in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings. 5

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figures 1a-e: Show respectively, side, plan, underneath, rear end, and front end views, ! 0 I of a tag after it has been cut off from a strip of tags and according to one possible embodiment of the invention; Figures 2a-c: Show respectively, side perspective, end perspective, and underneath perspective views, of the tag of Figure 1; 5 Figure 3: Shows a cross-sectional view along arrows A-A of the tag of Figure 2a; Figure 4: Shows an exploded view of the tag of the preceding Figures and including a tamper-proofing cap; 0 Figure 5: Shows a cross-sectional view along arrows A-A of Figure 4 with the tag assembled; Figure 6: Shows a front end of a tag of the preceding Figures before it has been cut off from a strip of tags and including its forwardly directed capsule to 25 contain an RFID component; Figure 7: Shows an exploded view of two of the tags of the preceding Figures before forming part of a strip; 30 Figures 8a-f: Show respectively, side, underneath, cross-sectional, side perspective, plan and cross-sectional views of tags forming part of a strip; Figure 9: Shows a side perspective view of a 10-tag strip of tags according to one possible embodiment of the invention: 35 -4- 2013224724 28 Apr 2017

Figure 10: Shows a plan view of a strip of tags according to an embodiment of the invention, with the frontmost tag about to be separated from the remaining tags of the strip. 5 Brief Description of Possible Embodiments of the Invention

As mentioned above, the present invention relates to identification tags and/or strips of tags, and particularly but not exclusively to animal identification tags. These tags in the form of a strip can be loaded into an applicator for sequential application to an animal. Also as mentioned 0 above, in our New Zealand patent 577476, there is described such a strip of tags which is manufactured with the tags already interconnected to form the strip, the frontmost tag being separated from the strip when it is applied to the animal. Such strips of tags do not allow for anything more than basic indicia to identify a particular tag, typically by the use of a number by which the animal tagged with that particular tag will be identified. The present invention 5 therefore seeks to provide a means whereby the identification provided by a particular tag of a strip can be made totally unique, whether, by way of example only, this being by way of the use of one or more colours and/or the inclusion for each tag of its own individual transponder or other RFID component. It will be appreciated that in this way in a strip of, say ten, tags, at its simplest level, the tags could be sequenced front to back with tags of different colours or colour 0 combinations. The farmer, or other user, will be able to specify his or her required colour sequence depending on what the sequential tagging of the animals is intending to achieve. In this regard, mandatory tagging of animals often requires a specific year colour RFID tag so that the farmer can choose his or her own colour for the opposite ear as a unique stock management reference. 25

Alternatively or additionally, in a preferred embodiment, the tags or alternate tags may each accommodate an RFID component, such as a transponder, which again, when connected together and sequenced appropriately along the strip will provide the farmer with the required unique identification of each of the animals which have been tagged. In this way, a farmer can 30 tag an animal in one ear with an RFID tag, perhaps of one colour, and the same animal in the other ear with a non-RFID tag, perhaps of a different colour.

Referring therefore to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, a tag according to one possible embodiment of the invention is referenced generally by arrow 1. This is a tag 1 35 following its separation from a strip of tags, as will become clearer later. It has a body portion 2, a rear portion 3 and front portion 4, a capsule to hold an RFID component also forming part of -5- 2013224724 28 Apr 2017 the front portion, not being shown in these Figures. Extending from at or adjacent the rear portion 3, is an at least partially flexible arm 5 which extends over the body 2 and has a suitable male tag portion 6 extending downwardly at its end, with the typical hard head 7. The front portion 4 of the body 2 includes a female portion 8 which can receive and retain the head 7 of 5 the male tag 6.

Referring particularly to Figures 2a and 2c, the front portion 4 of the tag 1 is shown to include an edge 11 and the rear portion 3 on edge 10, resulting from the tag 1 being cut from the strip of tags. 0

Turning then to Figure 3, a cross-sectional view of Figure 2a shows the body 2 being substantially hollow and defining a chamber 14 which, in this embodiment, is able to accommodate a transponder or other RFID component 13. The transponder 13 is shown provided within a capsule or the like 15 which forms part of the front portion of the next following 5 tag of a strip of tags and is able to be slid into the chamber 14, together with the transponder or the like 13. An edge 10 is shown remaining after this tag has been cut from the strip of tags.

Referring particularly to Figures 4 and 5, the capsule 15 is shown provided with projections or the like 16 which are able to engage with suitable engagement means within the chamber 14, 0 such as projections or recesses, in holding the capsule 15, and its transponder 13, in position within the body 2 and in connecting the tag 1 with the next following tag of which the capsule 15 forms part of its front portion. In alternative embodiments, the tags 1 could be ultrasonically welded or heat sealed together to form a strip. In Figure 8a, the bodies 2 of the tags 1 a and 1 b are shown with side slots 21 into which the projections 16 can locate, a projection 16 being 25 shown within the slot 21 of tag 1a. The capsule 15 is shown in Figure 4 having an open front end 17 and a rear end 10 which connects it to the remainder of the next following tag (not shown).

In Figures 4 and 5, the aperture 8a (see Figure 3) at the bottom of the female tag portion 8 is 30 shown closed off by a cap or the like 18 in order to improve the tamper-proofing of the tag 1 by restricting access to the male tag head 7. Suitably the cap 18 would be welded into position.

Also in Figure 4, the tag front portion 4 is shown with chamfered front edges 11 formed by the cutting of the tag 1 from a strip of tags. The chamfer is beneficial in avoiding a sharp edge 35 which could hurt the animal. -6- 2013224724 28 Apr 2017

Referring then to Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings, a complete tag 1 is shown including its forward facing capsule 15 by which it is able to be connected with the tag immediately in front. 5 Then, in Figure 7, in this exploded view, the capsule 15a of a tag 1a is shown ready to be connected with a frontmost tag (not shown) following the insertion of its RFID component 13 and to have the capsule 15b at the front end 4 of the next tag 1b of the strip inserted into its body portion 2 in connecting the tags 1a and 1b together. For the frontmost tag of a strip, the capsule 15a would be omitted or cut off as it would not be required. 0

Referring then to Figures 8, and in particular Figure 8d, the tags 1a and 1b of Figure 7 are shown connected together with tag 1a also being provided with its capsule 15a which will connect tag 1 a with the next frontmost tag of the strip (not shown). 5 In Figure 8f the individual transponders, or other RFID components 13, are shown provided for the individual tags 1 forming part of the strip of tags.

It is envisaged that a strip of tags may be provided to a farmer or other user with the tags already connected together, and sequenced in respect of the identification which each tag will 0 provide for an animal as it is tagged.

In Figure 9, a 10-tag strip of tags 1 is shown provided to create a strip 19, with each of the tags 1 being connected together in a required order in the strip so that the appropriate identification of the animals is obtained as they are sequentially tagged. Any number of tags 1 25 could of course form a strip 19, provided that the applicator chamber was long enough to handle it. It is seen that in Figure 9 the capsule 15 of the frontmost tag has been omitted or cut off.

As shown in Figure 10, when the frontmost tag 1a is being applied to an animal, a suitable cutting means 20, provided for the applicator (not shown), is shown very diagrammatically 30 severing the connection between the frontmost tag 1 a and the immediately following tag 1 b.

This will result in the chamfered edges 11, shown also in Figure 4 for example. A slot 22 between the adjacent tags will assist the cutting operation in limiting the width and depth of the cut. 35 It is seen therefore that the present invention will enable a farmer or other user to obtain an enhanced identification of animals as they are selectively tagged. Of course it will be 2013224724 28 Apr 2017 -7- appreciated that in any particular instance it may be that a farmer or other user will only be tagging one specific animal, in which case the present invention will enable the identification for that animal to be specifically selected on a single tag used for that purpose, or a pair of tags for each ear of the animal. 5

Where in the above description reference has been made to specific components or integers having known equivalents, such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth.

For example, the interconnection of the respective portions of the tags 1 to form the strip could 0 be by any suitable means and not necessarily as herein described.

Although this invention has been described by way of example and with reference to possible embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that modifications or improvements may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. 5

Claims (8)

1. An identification tag adapted to form a strip of tags, including a front portion and a rear portion, an at least partially flexible portion extending from at, or adjacent, said rear portion over a body portion of said tag and towards said front portion, an end portion of said flexible portion including a downwardly depending male tag portion which, in use, is engageable with a female tag portion provided towards said front portion, a part of said tag being adapted, in use, to be engageable with a said front portion of a next following one of said tags so that a plurality of said tags can form a strip of said tags, in which a capsule forms part of said front portion of said tag and is adapted to engage with said part of a tag immediately in front.

2. An identification tag as claimed in claim 1 in which said body portion includes a chamber and said chamber of one tag is adapted in use to accommodate a forwardly directed said capsule of the next following tag, said capsule being adapted in use to accommodate an RFID component.

3. An identification tag as claimed in either of claims 1 or 2 in which said capsule has an open front end to allow the insertion therein of the RFID component, said capsule further including a connecting means which is adapted to connect within the body portion of a said tag immediately in front when a strip of tags is being formed.

4. An identification tag as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which at least some of the tags forming a strip of tags in use are of different colours.

5. An identification tag as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the female tag portion is closed off by a tamper-proofing means which restricts access to the male tag portion after its engagement with the female tag portion.

6. A strip of tags formed by the interconnection of a plurality of the tags according to any one of the preceding claims.

7. A strip of tags as claimed in claim 6 in which a slot is provided between adjacent tags to facilitate the separation of the tags.

8. A strip of tags as claimed in claim 7 in which a separated tag will be provided with a chamfered front edge.