Card-type data carrier and method for manufacture thereof
Patent Information
- Application Number
- EP2023789504
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-10-12
- Filing Date
- 2023-10-10
- Publication Date
- 2025-08-20
AI Technical Summary
The production of card-shaped data carriers with colored core layers for individualization is logistically challenging due to the need for early determination of intended financial institutions and fixed production quantities, and existing methods risk ink running onto the top and bottom sides during color printing.
A method involving a colored coating applied along the entire circumferential side surface of the card, spaced from the top and bottom, using a spraying or inkjet printing process, with optional half-shells or precise holder arrangements to prevent ink flow onto the card's edges, allowing for customizable designs and minimizing production effort.
Enables efficient individualization of card-shaped data carriers with reduced risk of ink running, allowing for precise and customizable colored edges that do not reach the top or bottom, facilitating easy identification and authentication.
Smart Images
Figure 1.1
Abstract
Description
[0001] Card-shaped data carrier and method for its production
[0002] The invention relates generally to the field of card-shaped data carriers, in particular smart cards and chip cards, such as credit and debit cards.
[0003] Card-shaped data storage devices are widely used in everyday life, particularly as smart cards, such as magnetic stripe cards, where the data is stored on a magnetic strip, and chip cards, which are equipped with an electronic chip to store the data and which also often have a magnetic stripe. Such cards have a top side, a bottom side lying parallel to it, and a circumferential side surface that connects the top and bottom. The production of such cards is diverse and well known. In particular, there are cards with a single-layer or multi-layer structure, cards with an embedded chip module, in the case of dual interface chip cards including an antenna, and / or cards with a magnetic stripe glued to one side. The dimensions of such cards are standardized. The most common format is the so-called ID-1 format, for example that used by credit and debit cards.In particular, this type of card-shaped data carrier is further developed by the present invention, but an application to cards with other formats, in particular smaller ID formats, is also possible.
[0004] While most cards are made of standard plastic materials, there is growing interest in customizing cards in various ways. One trend, for example, is to produce at least one card core layer from a custom-colored plastic, so that the card is easily identifiable due to its custom-colored surrounding side surface. This can serve both as an additional authenticity feature and as a personalization feature, allowing corresponding cards to be easily assigned to a specific financial institution.
[0005] However, producing the cards with the corresponding colored core layers poses a logistical problem. In particular, the financial institution for which the cards are intended must be known early in the production process, and the number of cards to be produced must also be determined. This eliminates the possibility of "stockpiling" the cards.
[0006] It's also known to print the surrounding side of the cards in color. This allows the cards to be customized in a subsequent production step. However, there's a risk that the printing ink will bleed onto the top and bottom of the card.
[0007] One objective is therefore to enable cards to be individualised by means of coloured card sides with the least possible production effort.
[0008] A method for producing a card-shaped data carrier with a colored edge according to a first aspect of the present disclosure provides for providing the circumferential side surface of the card-shaped data carrier with a colored coating such that the colored coating is spaced apart from both the top and bottom sides along the entire circumferential side surface. By not coating the side surface with color over its entire area, in particular not adjacent to the top and bottom sides, the risk of the coating running around the edge of the card onto the top and / or bottom sides of the card, for example due to capillary forces, is reduced. The coating preferably runs continuously along the circumferential side surface around the top and bottom sides.However, it is also possible that the colored coating along the surrounding side surface has a width of “zero” in some places or sections, i.e. it may be missing.
[0009] A spraying process, particularly an inkjet printing process, can be used to create the coating. Other coating methods are also possible.
[0010] The coating should be as thin as possible to minimize the risk of sagging. A suitable coating thickness after drying is in the range of 1 to 50 μm. The card-shaped data carrier is preferably oriented vertically for the coating step. Gravity-induced flow of the applied coating before it is completely dry will then occur only along the side surfaces and certainly not toward the top or bottom of the card-shaped data carrier. This further reduces the risk of the coating material running around the edge of the card onto the top or bottom.
[0011] Advantageously, the card-shaped data carrier is held between two half-shells during the coating step, with the half-shells partially covering the entire circumferential side surface. The half-shells leave a gap through which the side surface can be partially coated, in particular printed.
[0012] It is advantageous if the half-shells are spaced apart from the top and bottom of the card-shaped data carrier during the coating step, preferably along the entire circumferential side surface. This prevents the applied coating from being drawn around the edge onto the top and / or bottom of the card due to capillary forces. However, it is sufficient if this spacing is only provided in the area adjacent to the circumferential side surface. This means that the half-shells can certainly contact the top and bottom of the card at points that are distant from the circumferential side surface. This is actually advantageous for precisely positioning the card in the half-shell or between the half-shells.
[0013] In particular, during the coating step, contact between the half-shells and the card-shaped data carrier can be provided precisely along the edges of the card, possibly even only there and / or possibly only in sections. This means that the circumferential side surface forms a circumferential edge with the top side and the bottom side of the card-shaped data carrier, and the half-shells each adjoin the circumferential side surface along at least one of the circumferential edges during the coating step.
[0014] According to one variant of the invention, the half-shells are advantageously dispensed with, and the card-shaped data carrier is fixed in a holder such that it is arranged relative to a coating device, such as a print head or a print nozzle, which coats the circumferential side surface according to the invention. The relative arrangement of the card-shaped data carrier with respect to the coating device, mediated by the holder, is provided such that the colored coating is spaced apart from both the top and bottom along the entire circumferential side surface. The advantage of this embodiment is that the half-shells are dispensed with, since the relative arrangement allows the coating to be applied with such precision that the inventive purpose is achieved.In the simplest case, the colored coating is applied to the surrounding side surface at a constant distance from the top and bottom, forming a continuous strip of constant width and preferably at the same distance from the top and bottom. The cards can then be customized based solely on the chosen coating color and, if necessary, also by varying the width of the strip.
[0015] However, the proposed method also allows for additional types of customization. For example, the colored coating can be applied to the circumferential side surface of the card-shaped data carrier at varying distances from the top or bottom, or both the top and bottom. For this purpose, the half-shells only need to be designed with an appropriately shaped edge or the holder needs to be positioned precisely with respect to the coating device. This opens up numerous variation options, so that, for example, every financial institution can use a circumferential strip with an individual contour. For example, the varying distance to the top and / or bottom can include a wave-like pattern, a zigzag pattern, a step-like pattern, a crenellated pattern, or a pattern formed like arches arranged next to one another.
[0016] Preferably, the varying distance of the colored coating runs in a uniform manner on both the top and bottom sides, for example, in a zigzag pattern. This allows for the creation of memorable patterns. This is especially true if the varying distance to the top and the varying distance to the bottom vary evenly along the circumferential side surface, so that, if we stick with the zigzag example, the periodic distances between the peaks and valleys of the two zigzag lines coincide.
[0017] One variant provides that the varying distance of the colored coating to the top side has a maximum where the varying distance of the colored coating to the underside has a minimum. If the varying distance to both the top and the underside has the same course, for example in the manner of a zigzag line, and both varying distances have a uniform course, for example in the form of zigzag lines with matching periodic distances between the peaks and valleys of the two zigzag lines, the colored coating can have a stripe of constant width along the circumferential side surface, in this example a stripe with a zigzag shape. In other variants, however, the stripe of constant width is wavy or has a different design.
[0018] Other variants, however, provide that the varying distance of the colored coating to the top:
[0019] - has a minimum, where the distance between the coloured coating and the underside has a minimum, or
[0020] - has a maximum where the distance between the colored coating and the underside has a maximum, or
[0021] - has a minimum where the distance of the colored coating to the underside has a minimum, and has a maximum where the distance of the colored coating to the underside has a maximum.
[0022] The latter variant is particularly memorable when the course of the varying distance to both the top and bottom is, on the one hand, similar, for example, again in the form of a zigzag line, and, on the other hand, uniform, for example, again in the form of zigzag lines with matching periodic intervals between the peaks and valleys of the two zigzag lines. As a result, the colored coating can be achieved with wide and narrow spots regularly arranged along the circumferential side surface.A correspondingly manufactured card-shaped data carrier, for example a smart card or chip card, accordingly has an upper side and a lower side lying parallel thereto as well as a circumferential side surface connecting the upper side and lower side, wherein a colored coating with a thickness in the range of 1 to 50 pm is provided on the circumferential side surface, which is spaced apart from both the upper side and the lower side along the entire side surface and thus does not reach the upper side and lower side at any point.
[0023] Further advantages, features, and details will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings. These show:
[0024] Fig. 1 A shows a vertically held card-shaped data carrier schematically in cross-section during the coating of its side surface with a colored stripe,
[0025] Fig. 2 is a side view of the finished coated card-shaped data carrier according to Fig. 1,
[0026] Fig. 3a to 3e different edge contours of the strip according to Fig. 2,
[0027] Fig. 4a to Fig. 4c show concrete embodiments of a strip according to Fig.
[0028] 2.
[0029] Figure 1 shows a card-shaped data carrier 1, for example a smart card or chip card or another type of card in ID-1 format or in another format (hereinafter referred to simply as “card”), during the coating of its side surface 4. The card 1 is shown in cross-section in Fig. 1 and has a top side 2, a bottom side 3 and a side surface 4 connecting the top side 2 to the bottom side 3, which side surface 4 runs completely around the card 1. The top and bottom sides run parallel to one another. The card 1 accordingly has a constant thickness. The circumferential side surface 4 forms a circumferential edge 6 with the top side 2 and a circumferential edge 7 with the bottom side 3. A colored coating 5 is applied to the side surface 4 by means of a suitable coating device 20, which is shown only schematically in Fig. 1, for example by means of an inkjet printing process.The card 1 is preferably held vertically during the coating process to ensure that the coating material does not flow onto the top side 2 or bottom side 3 due to gravity.
[0030] For this purpose, the card 1 is clamped in a suitable device which, in the illustrated embodiment, comprises two half-shells 10 and 11 which cover the top side 2 and bottom side 3 of the card 1 and encompass them laterally. The half-shells 10 and 11 can be partially or, if appropriate, completely open in the area of the top side 2 and bottom side 3. What is more important is that the part of the half-shells 10, 11 which encompasses the side surface 4 partially covers the side surface 4, namely in such a way that the coating of the side surface 4 through a gap formed between the two half-shells 10, 11 is only possible in a partial area which is spaced apart from both the top side 2 and the bottom side 3, i.e. from the circumferential edges 6 and 7. This ensures that the coating does not flow onto the top side 2 or bottom side 3.
[0031] The holder is specially designed to minimize any influence of capillary forces that could cause undesired flow of the coating material onto the top and / or bottom of the card 1. On the one hand, the half-shells are spaced from the top and bottom of the card 1, at least in an area directly adjacent to the circumferential side surface 4. This does not preclude contact, as shown in Fig. 1, between the half-shells 10, 11 and the edges 6, 7 of the card 1. This means that when coating the circumferential side surface 4, the half-shells can each rest against the circumferential side surface 4 (at least) along one of the circumferential edges 6, 7. On the other hand, the half-shells 10, 11 in the area of the circumferential side surface 4 are preferably only in contact with the circumferential edges 6, 7.This means that the part of the half-shells 10, 11 covering the side surface 4 is spaced as far as possible from the side surface 4 to prevent the coating material from being drawn into the gap between the side surface 4 and the part of the half-shells 10, 11 covering the side surface 4 due to possible capillary forces, as shown in Fig. 1. Accordingly, the half-shells 10, 11 have a circumferential inclined surface, against which the card 1 may (but not necessarily) adjoin with its edges 6, 7, and a part covering the side surface 4, which prevents the coating material from being applied to the underlying areas of the side surface 4 during the coating process. The end edges 10A, 10B of these parts of the half-shells 10, 11 covering the side surface 4 rather define a gap 13 through which the coating of the side surface 4 takes place.
[0032] At least one of the half-shells 10 can have regularly or irregularly distributed support elements 12 onto which the card 1 can be placed. The height of these support elements 12 is preferably coordinated with the remaining dimensions of the half-shell 10 such that the card 1, when it rests against the support elements 12, also ideally rests with its edge 7 completely against the half-shell 10 or is at most slightly spaced therefrom. The card 1 can then be placed onto the support elements 12 of the half-shell 10 and covered and clamped by the equivalently designed second half-shell 11 before the half-shell 10 and the half-shell 11 with the card 1 in between are brought into the vertical position shown in Fig. 1. The second half-shell 11 can, but does not have to, also have corresponding support elements 12.
[0033] An alternative embodiment not shown in the figures provides for the card-shaped data carrier to be provided in a holder which is fixed relative to a coating device which applies a colored coating to the circumferential side surface in such a way that the colored coating is spaced apart from the top and bottom sides along the entire circumferential side surface. The coating device is a suitable print head, a print nozzle, or the like, which prints with sufficient precision to apply the colored coating, with a suitable arrangement relative to the holder, to the circumferential side surface of the card-shaped data carrier according to the invention. Fig. 2 shows the fully coated card 1. In this embodiment, the coating 5 forms a strip with a constant distance D2 from the top side 2 and a constant distance D3 from the bottom side 3.Accordingly, the coating 5 has a constant width W along the entire circumferential side surface 4.
[0034] However, the distance D2 to the top side 2 and / or the distance D3 to the bottom side 3 does not have to be constant but can also vary along the circumferential side surface 4. Fig. 3a to 3e show examples of different ways in which the strip can be contoured towards the top side 2 and / or the bottom side 3, namely wave-like, zigzag-like, crenellated or in the manner of arches arranged next to one another (Fig. 3a to Fig. 3d), whereby the arches do not have to be directly adjacent to one another but can also be spaced apart from one another (Fig. 3e).
[0035] These contours can be combined with each other and with other contours, even with a straight edge, in any way. In this respect, Figures 4a and 4b show similar courses of the distance D2 to the top side 2 and the distance D3 to the bottom side 3, namely wave-like courses on the one hand and zigzag-like courses on the other. In the illustrated embodiments according to Fig. 4a and Fig. 4b, the two respective courses not only vary uniformly along the circumferential side surface, but they also have the same period between their wave troughs. In Fig. 4a, the peaks and valleys are arranged relative to each other such that the width W of the resulting strip of the colored coating 5 is alternately maximum and minimum, whereas in the exemplary embodiment shown in Fig. 4b, the waves and valleys are arranged such that the width W of the strip formed by the colored coating 5 is constant along the circumferential side surface 4.4c, on the other hand, shows an embodiment in which the two courses of the distances D2 and D3 vary uniformly along the circumferential side surface 4. However, the courses are dissimilar, namely wave-like with respect to the distance D2 and crenellated with respect to the distance D3, and have different periods.
Claims
Patent claims 1. A method for producing a card-shaped data carrier (1), for example a smart card or chip card, with a top side (2) and a bottom side (3) which are parallel to one another, and with a circumferential side surface (4) which connects the top side (2) and bottom side (3) to one another, characterized by the step of coating the circumferential side surface (4) with a colored coating (5) in such a way that the colored coating (5) is spaced apart from the top side (2) and the bottom side (3) along the entire circumferential side surface (4).
2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that an inkjet printing method is used to produce the coating (5).
3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the card-shaped data carrier (1) is aligned vertically during the coating step.
4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the card-shaped data carrier (1) is held between two half-shells (10, 11) during the coating step, wherein the half-shells (10, 11) partially cover the circumferential side surface (4) along the entire circumferential side surface (4).
5. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that the half-shells (10, 11) are spaced apart from the top side (2) and the bottom side (3) of the card-shaped data carrier (1) during the coating step in a region adjacent to the circumferential side surface (4) which extends along the entire circumferential side surface (4).
6. Method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the circumferential side surface (4) forms a circumferential edge (6, 7) on the one hand with the upper side (2) and on the other hand with the underside (3) of the card-shaped data carrier (1) and that the half-shells (10, 11) adjoin the circumferential side surface (4) at least along one of the circumferential edges (6, 7) during the coating step.
7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the card-shaped data carrier is fixed in a holder with respect to a coating device which coats the circumferential side surface in color, in such a way that the colored coating (5) is spaced apart from the top side (2) and the bottom side (3) along the entire circumferential side surface (4).
8. Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the colored coating (5) is applied to the circumferential side surface (4) at a constant distance (D2, D3) from the top side (2) and the bottom side (3).
9. Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the colored coating (5) is applied to the circumferential side surface (4) at a varying distance (D2, D3) to the top side (2) or to the bottom side (3) or to both the top side (2) and the bottom side (3), wherein the varying distance (D2, D3) preferably comprises a wave-like course, a zigzag-like course, a crenellated course or a course formed in the manner of arches arranged next to one another.
10. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that the varying distance (D2, D3) is the same both to the top side (2) and to the bottom side (3).
11. Method according to one of claims 9 to 10, characterized in that the varying distance (D2, D3) varies uniformly along the circumferential side surface (4).
12. Method according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the varying distance (D2) to the top side (2) has a maximum where the varying distance (D3) to the bottom side (3) has a minimum.
13. Method according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the colored coating (5) has a constant width (W) along the circumferential side surface (4).
14. Method according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the varying distance (D2) to the upper side (2) - has a minimum where the varying distance (D3) to the bottom (3) has a minimum, or - has a maximum where the varying distance (D3) to the bottom side (3) has a maximum, or - has a minimum where the varying distance (D3) to the bottom side (3) has a minimum, and has a maximum where the varying distance (D3) to the bottom side (3) has a maximum.
15. Card-shaped data carrier (1), for example a smart card or chip card, with a top side (2) and a bottom side (3) which are parallel to one another, and with a circumferential side surface (4) which connects the top side (2) and bottom side (3) to one another, characterized by a colored coating (5) with a thickness in the range of 1 to 50 pm on the circumferential side surface (4), wherein the colored coating (5) is spaced from the top side (2) and the bottom side (3) along the entire circumferential side surface (4).