Electronic price label antenna for electronic price labels of different sizes

A small size electronic price label (EPL) comprising:

• a housing having a length no larger than about two inches;
• a printed circuit board within the housing;
• a liquid crystal display coupled to the printed circuit board;
• and
• a folded planar conductor antenna within the housing adjacent the liquid crystal display including
• a first generally planar conductor which has first and second edges and a width and which acts as a radiator;
• a second generally planar conductor having first and second edges and a width and oriented generally parallel to the first generally planar conductor and which acts as a ground;
• a third generally planar conductor coupled substantially perpendicularly to the first edge of the second planar conductor at a first fold;
• a fourth generally planar conductor coupled substantially perpendicularly between the second edge of the first generally planar conductor at a second fold and the second edge of the second generally planar conductor at a third fold;
• a fifth generally planar conductor coupled at a fourth fold for linking the first edge of the first generally planar conductor to a port on the printed circuit board;
• wherein the printed circuitry board is disposed between the first and second generally planar conductors;
• and
• a dielectric layer between the first and second generally planar conductors;
• wherein the width of the second generally planar conductor is larger than the width of the first generally planar conductor by a distance sufficient to produce an electric field which is linearly polarized in the width direction;
• and
• wherein the first generally planar conductor has an area and the second generally planar conductor has an area, and wherein the area of the first generally planar conductor is less than the area of the second generally planar conductor.

An electronic price label (EPL) antenna comprising:

• a folded planar conductor which occupies an area small enough to fit within two different housings of two different sized EPLs including a first housing of a first EPL having a length no larger than about two inches and a second housing of a second EPL having a length larger than about two inches;
• wherein the folded planar conductor includes
• a first generally planar conductor which has first and second edges and a width and which acts as a radiator;
• a second generally planar conductor having first and second edges and a width and oriented generally parallel to the first generally planar conductor and which acts as a ground;
• a third generally planar conductor coupled substantially perpendicularly to the first edge of the second planar conductor at a first fold;
• a fourth generally planar conductor coupled substantially perpendicularly between the second edge of the first generally planar conductor at a second fold and the second edge of the second generally planar conductor at a third fold;
• a fifth generally planar conductor coupled at a fourth fold for linking the first edge of the first generally planar conductor to a printed circuit board accommodate placement of the printed circuit board between the first and second generally planar conductors;
• and
• a dielectric layer between the first and second generally planar conductors;
• wherein the width of the second generally planar conductor is larger than the width of the first generally planar conductor by a distance sufficient to produce an electric field which is linearly polarized in the width direction;
• and
• wherein the first generally planar conductor has an area and the second generally planar conductor has an area, and wherein the area of the first generally planar conductor is less than the area of the second generally planar conductor.