Overmoulded electronic components for transaction cards and methods of manufacturing the same

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a transaction card includes forming an opening in a card body of the transaction card, inserting an electronic component into the opening, and molding a molding material around the electronic component. The transaction card includes the molded electronic component.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application relates to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 367,362, filed July 27, 2016, entitled “OVERMOLDED ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS FOR TRANSACTION CARDS AND METHODS OF MAKING THEREOF”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. Technical Field

[0003] This invention relates to a transaction card with electronic components and a method for manufacturing the same. Background Technology

[0004] Metal payment cards present unique challenges when incorporating electronic components such as inductively coupled payment modules, RF electronics, and separate electronic inlays. To accommodate these components, metal is machined into various geometries, and then the components are placed within a cavity, either exposed or concealed beneath a printed plastic sheet or other decorative element. The decorative element can be attached to the card using various processes such as lamination, contact adhesives, curable adhesives, or "push-in assembly" or any bonding method known in the art. RF shielding is typically required within the cavity, which further complicates card assembly while maintaining the desired aesthetics of the card.

[0005] Some of these required processing geometries remove significant amounts of metal or leave slits or holes through the card, which weakens the card's strength and is aesthetically undesirable. To strengthen the card and provide the desired surface finish, overmolding and insert molding techniques have been developed to encapsulate the electronic inlay within the card and reinforce its geometry. Furthermore, this development has improved RF performance compared to existing designs because it allows for the removal of more metal in critical RF transmission and reception areas while maintaining structural rigidity and the desired appearance. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Various aspects of the present invention relate to transaction cards, processes for manufacturing transaction cards, and transaction cards produced according to the disclosed methods.

[0007] According to one aspect, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a transaction card and a transaction card produced therefrom. The method includes forming an opening in the card body of the transaction card for receiving electronic components; inserting the electronic components into the opening; and molding a molding material around the electronic components.

[0008] In another aspect, the present invention provides a transaction card. The transaction card includes molded electronic components.

[0009] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary rather than restrictive descriptions of the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0010] The invention can be best understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements have like reference numerals. When multiple similar elements exist, a single reference numeral may be assigned to multiple similar elements, wherein lowercase letters denote specific elements. Lowercase letters may be omitted when they commonly refer to elements or to one or more non-specific elements. This emphasizes that, by convention, unless otherwise stated, the various features in the drawings are not drawn to scale. Instead, for clarity, the dimensions of the various features may be enlarged or reduced. The drawings include the following figures:

[0011] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of selected steps in a process for manufacturing a transaction card according to various aspects of the present invention;

[0012] Figure 2A These are photographs depicting electronic components prior to overmolding according to various aspects of the present invention;

[0013] Figure 2B These are photographs depicting electronic components after overmolding according to various aspects of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 3A This is a schematic diagram of the front of the transaction card before insertion molding according to various aspects of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 3B This is a schematic diagram of the back of the transaction card before insertion molding according to various aspects of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 3C This is a schematic diagram of the front of a transaction card after insertion molding according to various aspects of the present invention; and

[0017] Figure 3D This is a schematic diagram of the back of a transaction card after insertion molding according to various aspects of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 4A and Figure 4B This is a schematic diagram of selected steps in the overmolding process for manufacturing transaction cards according to various aspects of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Various aspects of the present invention relate to transaction cards, processes for manufacturing transaction cards, and transaction cards produced according to the disclosed methods.

[0020] exist Figure 1The diagram shows selected steps of a process 100 for producing transaction cards according to various aspects of the present invention. It should be noted that, with respect to the process described herein, it will be understood from the description that one or more steps may be omitted and / or one or more steps may be performed out of the described process sequence while still achieving the desired result.

[0021] In step 110, an opening is formed in the card body of the transaction card. The size of the opening can be designed to accommodate one or more molded electronic components. The opening can extend partially through the card body (thus forming, for example, a recess) or extend completely through the card body (thus forming a hole). In some embodiments, it can then be applied to one side, for example, using an applied material such as an adhesively bonded plastic material. Figure 3D The fixing member 307c shown completely or partially covers the hole formed through the card body. (As shown) Figure 3D As depicted, the retaining member 307c overlaps with the area surrounding the hole to form a recess defined by the edge of the hole in the card body and defined at the bottom by the retaining member 307c as the applied material. The applied material can be the same as or compatible with the molding material to be filled in the recess. In some embodiments, such as Figure 3D As shown, the fixing member 307c, which is the material to be applied and overlaps with the area surrounding the hole in the card body, may have a through hole 308, the area of ​​which is smaller than the area of ​​the hole in the card body, so as to provide a "flange" 309 of the material to be applied in the card body on the periphery of the hole.

[0022] The card body of the present invention can be made of any suitable material including any suitable metal, such as stainless steel, bronze, copper, titanium, tungsten carbide, nickel, palladium, silver, gold, platinum, aluminum, or any alloy that gives the majority of the card's body (structure) and weight. Alternatively or additionally, the card body described herein can be composed of any suitable polymer (e.g., polycarbonate, polyester) or inorganic (e.g., glass, ceramic) material, or any combination of the foregoing materials.

[0023] In step 120, the electronic component is inserted into the opening of the card body.

[0024] In step 130, molding material is molded around the electronic component. It should be noted that the order of steps 120 and 130 can vary depending on the specific application.

[0025] In one implementation, step 130 includes an overmolding process. During the overmolding process, molding material is molded around (and typically above) the electronic component such that the molding material covers at least a portion of the surface of the electronic component. The overmolding of the electronic component can be performed using conventional and commercially available equipment such as ENGLE Plug (Engel Austria GmbH, Australia) and Cavist MoldMan. TM (Reno, Nevada (NV)) to complete.

[0026] This shows the process before overmolding (in) Figure 2A (in) and afterwards (in) Figure 2B The electronic component 201 (in the middle). Although the overmolded component 200 is depicted as having a molding material 205 that completely covers the electronic component 201, those skilled in the art will understand that different degrees of overmolding can achieve the required structural rigidity, functionality, and aesthetics of the transaction card. Specifically, such as Figure 2A and Figure 2B As shown, the electrical contacts connected to component 200 in the form of lines 210 and 220 each have an unencapsulated end that protrudes from the overmolding to allow electrical connection to the component. It should be understood that, although in Figure 2A and Figure 2B The components are depicted as lines, but electrical contacts, or other unencapsulated portions not limited to electrical contacts, can take any shape or form. It should also be understood that in some embodiments, such as those where the technically required level of coupling between the unencapsulated and encapsulated components can be achieved through an encapsulation layer, the components can be fully encapsulated.

[0027] Back Figure 1 In the case of an overmolding process, step 130 can be performed before step 120. That is, the electronic component can be overmolded separately before insertion into the opening of the card body. Before inserting the overmolded electronic component, the overmolded component can also be machined to remove excess molding material and / or create components in the molding material that can be used to secure the overmolded electronic component to the opening of the card body. For example, refer to... Figure 2B The lip edge can be machined into the molding material 205 so that the overmolded part 200 can be fixed in the opening of the card body.

[0028] Alternatively, the overmolding in step 130 can be performed after step 120. In this embodiment, the electronic component is inserted into an opening in the card body. Subsequently, molding material is forced into the opening in the card body and formed above one or more exposed surfaces of the electronic component, including at least a top surface. Those skilled in the art will understand that when the molding material flows into the opening in the card body, the card body material can be selected to withstand the pressure and heat associated with overmolding substantially without deformation.

[0029] In the case of insert molding, step 130 can be performed before step 120. A conventional insert molding process involves inserting an electronic component into a mold, and then injecting molding material into the mold to form the molded electronic component. After the insert molding process, the molded electronic component can be fully or partially encapsulated using molding material.

[0030] Go to Figures 3A to 3D The accompanying drawings depict selected steps of an insertion molding process for manufacturing a transaction card according to various aspects of the present invention. In the drawings, Figures 3A to 3D Areas 305 and 308 in the diagram represent holes through which the card passes. Figure 3A The fixed components 307a, b and Figure 3B and Figure 3D The fixing component 307c in the text refers to a partially covered hole (recess) in the card body for joining and tightening the molded material. Figure 3B A finished molded card is depicted, in which the insert molding material of the molded electronic component 310 is visible. Although, for illustrative purposes, the insert molding material is shown to contrast with the background card material, the molded component is not limited to any particular contrast in coloring or shading relative to the background card and may include the same material as the front of the card or may include a material with coloring or shading selected to match the front of the card in order to minimize its visibility in the finished card. For example, in a card body comprising a material different from the molding material (e.g., a metal or ceramic body and a thermoplastic resin molding material), the coloring of the molding material may be selected to have a color and hue that matches the material of the body as closely as possible, including the use of the same or similar components in the molding material as the card body material (e.g., including powdered metal in the molding material that is the same as the metal of the body). In other embodiments, a molding material contrasting with the body of the card may be used. Figure 3A The front of a transaction card 300 is depicted, including an opening 305 that extends completely through the card body 302. Multiple retaining members 307a,b provide areas where molding material can adhere or otherwise join. In the illustrated embodiment, the retaining members 307a,b are blind holes (e.g., recesses). Figure 3BA similar set of retaining components 307c was found on the opposite back side of the transaction card 300. The geometry of the opening 305 and the retaining components 307a,b,c was chosen to improve the RF performance of the metal transaction card 300. The retaining components 307a,b,c may comprise materials that are the same as or otherwise compatible with the molding material and different from the card body material, such that the molding material and the materials of the retaining components are melted or otherwise bonded together with an adhesive stronger than any bond formed between the molding material and the card body.

[0031] Figure 3C The front of the transaction card 300 is depicted after the molded electronic component 310 has been placed into the opening 305. In the illustrated embodiment, the molded electronic component 310 will be visible on the transaction card 300. The geometry of the molded electronic component 310 allows it to be secured to the transaction card 300 by a biasing action generated by the retaining components 307a,b,c. Alternatively or additionally, the molded electronic component 310 may be adhered to the opening 305 of the transaction card 300 by an epoxy resin such as bisphenol, phenolic varnish, aliphatic, or diglycidylamine.

[0032] Excess molding material can be removed from the molded electronic component 310 (by means of milling or machining, for example) to incorporate additional electronic components or other required components.

[0033] Figure 4A An exemplary overmolding process is depicted, wherein a recess 403 is machined into a card body 402 to receive an electronic component 405. In the illustrated embodiment, the electronic component 405 is a printed circuit board (PCB), specifically an RFID module. Although the recess 403 is depicted as extending across most of the back of the card body 402, those skilled in the art will understand that smaller openings of varying geometries may be appropriate depending on the electronic component to be incorporated.

[0034] The recess 403 can be sized to receive and hold the electronic component 405 in place, or its dimensions can be designed to allow excess molding material between the inner lip of the recess 403 and the outer edge of the electronic component 405. The electronic component 405 can be additionally or alternatively adhered to the recess 403 using the epoxy resin described above.

[0035] The overmolded panel 410 forms the back of the transaction card 400. The overmolded panel 410 can completely or partially encapsulate the electronic components 405. The overmolded panel 410 can be prepared separately and then attached to the recess 403 (using, for example, a suitable epoxy resin as described above), or it can be formed by directly overmolding a layer of molding material into the recess 403.

[0036] In an exemplary embodiment, the molding material used in the overmolded panel is a plastic material that can enhance RF transmission, wherein the transaction card 400 is made of metal or other RF interference material.

[0037] As is known in the art, transaction cards with RFID modules typically also have antenna structures coupled to the RFID module. Therefore, in exemplary embodiments where the RFID module is an encapsulated or partially encapsulated component (or one of multiple electronic components processed as described herein), antenna structures can be provided in any number of ways. In one embodiment, the antenna structure can be embedded in a layer applied to the card after the molding process described herein. The antenna orientation layer can be laminated to the card using a non-heating process (e.g., with adhesives), a hot lamination process performed at temperatures, pressures, and durations that will not remelt, deform, or otherwise adversely interfere with the molding above the electronic components, or a backing plate (including metal or some other material unaffected by hot lamination) can be provided during such a hot lamination step to prevent any remelting or deformation of the molding from protruding from the opposite surface of the lamination step. In another embodiment, the molding step may include a wrap molding step that covers not only the electronic components as described herein, but also at least a portion of the card surface where the antenna structure will later be disposed. For example, an overflow overmolding step can be performed, which, in addition to encapsulating or partially encapsulating the RFID module, can cover at least one complete surface of the card in a layer of desired thickness (typically the back, but could also be the front or alternative to the front). The antenna can then be embedded into this overmolding layer, for example, using ultrasonic processing known in the art. Anything to be printed on the surface of the card can also be printed on the surface of the overmolding layer, or can be attached, for example, via adhesive or lamination. In other embodiments, the antenna can be printed on the molded surface, or applied as part of another layer attached, for example, with adhesive or by lamination, above the molded surface. The foregoing is a non-limiting example, and it should be understood that there are endless possibilities for downstream processing of the product obtained from the processes described herein for providing molded electronic components in a card, and certain aspects of the invention are not in any way limited to subsequent process steps.

[0038] Those skilled in the art will understand that the suitable molding material will depend on the type of molding process used in step 130. For example, in the case of insert or overmolding, materials such as TechnoMelt can be used. ®Thermoplastic materials such as henkel melt adhesives and thermosetting materials such as glass fiber reinforced polyester, polyurethane, phenolic plastics, rigid plastics, melamine, diallyl phthalate, and polyimide, can include one or more of the following materials: EVA, metallocene polyalphaolefins, polyolefins including random polyalphaolefins, block copolymers, polyurethane melts, and polyamides. Those skilled in the art will understand that other materials that can become flowable in overmolding or insert molding processes can also be used, including but not limited to powdered metals such as rhodium, aluminum, titanium, magnesium, copper, brass, nickel, Monel copper-nickel alloys, chromium-nickel-iron alloys, steel, and their alloys.

[0039] In another embodiment, the molding material used in the overmolding or insert molding process is a plastic material having a molding temperature range of about 150°C to about 300°C.

[0040] Although the invention has been described and illustrated herein with reference to specific embodiments, the invention is not limited to the details shown. Rather, various modifications to the details may be made within the scope of the equivalents of the claims and without departing from the invention.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a transaction card, comprising the following steps: (a) An opening is formed in the card body by removing material from the card body of the transaction card, the opening including at least a first fixing member and at least a second fixing member, the at least first fixing member having a blind hole shape that is open only to a first side of the card body, and the at least second fixing member having a blind hole shape that is open only to a second side of the card body; (b) Molding the molding material around the electronic component by placing the electronic component into the mold and adding molding material to completely encapsulate the electronic component; and, after performing steps (a) and (b), Inserting and securing the fully encapsulated electronic components into the opening of the card body includes securing the molding material to the card body using the first and second securing components.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The opening extends partially or completely through the card body.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The molding material is a plastic having a molding temperature range of about 150°C to about 300°C.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The molding material is a polymer material, including one or more of the following: EVA, metallocene polyalphaolefin, polyolefin including random polyalphaolefin, block copolymer, polyurethane hot melt, polyamide, glass fiber reinforced polyester, polyurethane, phenolic plastic, rigid plastic, melamine, diallyl phthalate, and polyimide.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The molding material includes resin, and the resin includes powdered metal.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of removing excess molding material from the molded electronic component after the molding step.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The opening is a recess in the card body that extends only partially through the card body.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The fully encapsulated electronic component is secured in the opening of the card body by a biasing force generated by at least one of the first and second fixing components.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The card body comprises metal, and step (a) further comprises forming at least one of the opening, the first fixing member, and the second fixing member into a geometry selected to improve the radio frequency performance of the transaction card.

10. The method according to claim 3, wherein, At least one of the first fixing component and the second fixing component includes a material that is compatible with the molding material and different from the material of the card body.

11. A transaction card manufactured according to the method of claim 1.

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