A card, such as a bank card, and a method for producing a card for use by the visually impaired

Abstract

The object of the present disclosure is enclosed in the area of card technology, such as bank card technology. The present disclosure includes a method for producing a card for use by the visually impaired. The method may include: providing a plastic base support layer, providing at least one plastic inlay support layer on top of the base support layer, providing a plastic top layer on top of the at least one plastic inlay support layer, and a plurality of tactile prints is provided on the plastic top layer by means of flatbed screen printing, the tactile prints protruding from the top plastic layer, wherein the plurality of tactile prints forms a Braille alphanumeric code or codes, thereby obtaining a card for use by the visually impaired. Flatbed screen printing enables to obtain tactile prints on a plastic base in a simplified manner and manner.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] A CARD, SUCH AS A BANK CARD, AND A METHOD FOR PRODUCING A CARD FOR USE BY THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED

[0003] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0004] The object of the present disclosure is enclosed in the area of card technology, such as bank card technology.

[0005] PRIOR ART

[0006] Modern electronic devices and systems have many challenges for persons who are visually impaired.

[0007] Despite the fact that these devices seek to be more user friendly, they are not yet fully adapted to the needs of visually impaired persons.

[0008] Braille is a tactile writing system based on tactile protrusions which a user may sense with the fingertips, and which has been used both in paper based and electronic devices, in order to enhance the usability by visually impaired persons.

[0009] Still, Braille is not yet widely used, namely in the banking area, specifically in bank cards. Bank cards may provide readable information for visually impaired persons, and a hurdle for a wider use of such system may be related to the additional complexity of providing Braille protrusions in a bank card, which is desirably as simple as it may be in order to fulfil its basic requirements.

[0010] Therefore, the object of the present disclosure provides an enhanced and simplified method for producing cards for use by the visually impaired, based on the Braille tactile system, as well as cards obtained through such method, in an innovative manner. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0011] The present disclosure includes a method for producing a card for use by the visually impaired. The card has a length of 8.5 to 8.7 cm, and a height of 5.3 to 5.5 cm. The method may include: providing a plastic base support layer, providing at least one plastic inlay support layer on top of the base support layer, providing a plastic top layer on top of the at least one plastic inlay support layer, and a plurality of tactile prints is provided on the plastic top layer by means of flatbed screen printing, the tactile prints protruding from the top plastic layer, wherein the plurality of tactile prints forms a Braille alphanumeric code or codes, thereby obtaining a card for use by the visually impaired.

[0012] The provision of Braille tactile prints on the plastic top layer of a cards allows to obtain a card which is not only is usable by a visually impaired person as it is robust and obtained through a simplified method. Flatbed screen printing enables to obtain tactile prints on a plastic base - the plastic top layer - in a simplified and robust manner, as it is important that prints are not easily detached from the card during the entire lifetime of the card.

[0013] When the flatbed screen printing is performed, the plastic top layer may be in a fixed position.

[0014] The screen printing may comprise: forming a plurality of tactile prints, curing, the cure being performed with at least one UV lamp.

[0015] The curing may be performed with two UV lamps.

[0016] The intensity of the UV lamps may be in the range of 80-90 %. The intensity of the UV lamps during curing may be specifically at 85 % of the total allowable intensity. Upon forming plurality of screen prints, a UV curable varnish may be directly applied on top of the formed tactile prints.

[0017] The distance between the center of two adjacent Braille dots forming a same cell may be of 2-3 mm, optionally 2.5 mm.

[0018] The card may be a bank card, an access card, a loyalty card or an employee card.

[0019] The resulting card may have a thickness of 0.65 to 0.85 mm.

[0020] The plastic of the plastic base support layer, the at least one plastic inlay support layer and / or the plastic top layer may comprise, or may consist of, polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

[0021] The Braille alphanumeric representations may have a size - a font size - of 22-26, optionally 24.

[0022] The method may further comprise: computationally generating a Braille alphanumeric representation, converting such alphanumeric representation into a printable code interpretable by flatbed screen printing means, and based on the printable code, thereby providing a plurality of tactile prints on the plastic top layer by means of flatbed screen printing.

[0023] Two plastic inlay support layers may be provided, and computational identification and communication means may be provided in between the two plastic inlay support layers.

[0024] The computational identification and communication means may be configured to store at least one card storable information, the at least one card storable information being correlated with or consisting of the data provided in the Braille alphanumeric code. The present disclosure may further comprise a card for use by the visually impaired. The card is obtainable through the method of the present disclosure, in any of its possible configurations. The card has a length of 8.5 to 8.7 cm, and a height of 5.3 to 5.5 cm.

[0025] The card may have a thickness of 0.65 to 0.85 mm.

[0026] The card may be a bank card, an access card, a loyalty card or an employee card.

[0027] The present disclosure may further comprise a computational system. The computational system may comprise card reading means and a card according to the present disclosure, in any of its possible configurations. The card may comprise computational identification and communication means configured to store at least one card storable information, the at least one card storable information being correlated with or consisting of the data provided in the Braille alphanumeric code, and wherein, the computational system may be configured to receive the at least one card storable information from the card and provide an identification of the card, the card user or an additional information from the at least one card storable information.

[0028] The computational system may consist of a bank computational system, the card a bank card and the additional banking information, additional banking information.

[0029] DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0030] Figure 1 - representation of a specific aspect method of the present disclosure, a method for producing a bank card for use by the visually impaired (100), and including providing a plastic base support layer (110), providing at least one plastic inlay support layer on top of the base support layer (120), providing a plastic top layer on top of the at least one plastic inlay support layer (130), and providing a plurality of tactile prints on the plastic top layer by means of flatbed screen printing, the tactile prints protruding from the top plastic layer (140), wherein the plurality of tactile prints forms a Braille alphanumeric code or codes (200), thereby obtaining a bank card for use by the visually impaired (150). Figure 2 - Representation of a portion of the bank card of the present disclosure, highlighting the tactile protrusions (21) and their arrangement, including a distance between the center of two adjacent Braille dots being of 2.5 mm.

[0031] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The object of the present disclosure has been previously described. Further aspects of such object are subsequently provided.

[0033] The card obtained from the method of the disclosure has a layered structure, with at least three layers: a plastic base support layer, at least one plastic inlay support layer on top of the base support layer, a plastic top layer on top of the at least one plastic inlay support layer.

[0034] Tactile prints which may be sensed by a user, namely a user knowing Braille, are provided on the plastic top layer.

[0035] In an enhanced aspect, the tactile prints are provided and retained in the top plastic layer through flatbed screen printing. This operation provides that tactile prints are not easily detached from the card during the entire lifetime of the card.

[0036] When, the flatbed screen printing is performed, the plastic top layer is in a fixed position.

[0037] The screen printing may comprise curing, such that the tactile prints are better retained. The cure may be performed with at least one ultraviolet (UV) lamp, but advantageously with two UV lamps, in particular when lamps are at an intensity of 80-90 %, advantageously 85 %.

[0038] The screen printing may comprise by means of the provision of ink passing through screens. These screens only allow ink to pass through when it is allowed that an image passes onto the respective layer. A screen may have 280-320 pm, 60-80 lines and a line thickness of 28-36. A screen may have 300 pm, 70 lines and a thickness of 32.

[0039] The robustness of the resulting card is improved with a UV curable varnish. The process is simplified when the varnish is directly applied on top of the formed tactile prints, also reducing the risk of contamination of the prints and their attachment to the plastic top layer.

[0040] The distance between the center of two adjacent Braille dots forming a same cell may be of 2-3 mm, optionally 2.5 mm, which are measures congruent with typical card size.

[0041] The plastic base support layer, the at least one plastic inlay support layer and / or the plastic top layer, and thereby the resulting card, have a length of 8.5 to 8.7 cm, and a height of 5.3 to 5.5 cm.

[0042] The card may be a bank card, bank card, an access card, a loyalty card or an employee card.

[0043] The resulting card may have a thickness of 0.65 to 0.85 mm.

[0044] The plastic of the plastic base support layer, the at least one plastic inlay support layer and / or the plastic top layer may comprise, or may consist of, polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

[0045] The tactile prints forming Braille alphanumeric representations may have a size - a font size - of 22-26 with a predefined tolerance, optionally 24 with a tolerance of 0.425. The mentioned size and tolerance allow that Braille is directly provided onto the respective layer in an enhanced and more reliable manner.

[0046] The tactile prints forming Braille alphanumeric representations have a height extending from the plastic top layer of 280-320 pm, optionally 300 pm. The method may advantageously, in order to enhance its automation, further comprise: computationally generating a Braille alphanumeric representation, converting such alphanumeric representation into a printable code interpretable by flatbed screen printing means, and based on the printable code, thereby providing a plurality of tactile prints on the plastic top layer by means of flatbed screen printing.

[0047] Two plastic inlay support layers may be provided, and computational identification and communication means may be provided in between the two plastic inlay support layers.

[0048] The computational identification and communication means may comprise a magnetic strip card, a contact IC card and / or a non-contact IC card.

[0049] The computational identification and communication means may be configured to store at least one card storable information, the at least one card storable information being correlated with or consisting of the data provided in the Braille alphanumeric code. This additional aspect allows to relate physical readable information with card stored information.

[0050] The plastic base support layer, the at least one plastic inlay support layer and the plastic top layer may be provided in sheets which are cut to obtain the respective layers and the respective card. The sheets may be transported in a conveyor belt. The conveyor belt may move and thereby transport sheets at a speed of 12-18 m / min, optionally 16 m / min.

[0051] The present disclosure may further comprise a card for use by the visually impaired. The card is obtainable through the method of the present disclosure, in any of its possible configurations.

[0052] The card has a length of 8.5 to 8.7 cm, and a height of 5.3 to 5.5 cm, and may have a thickness of 0.65 to 0.85 mm. The present disclosure may further comprise a computational system. The computational system may comprise card reading means and a card according to the present disclosure, in any of its possible configurations. The card may comprise computational identification and communication means configured to store at least one card storable information, the at least one card storable information being correlated with or consisting of the data provided in the Braille alphanumeric code, and wherein, the computational system may be configured to receive the at least one card storable information from the card and provide an identification of the card, the card user or an additional information from the at least one card storable information.

[0053] As will be clear to one skilled in the art, the present disclosure should not be limited to the embodiments described herein, and a number of changes are possible which remain within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0054] Of course, the preferred embodiments shown above are combinable, in the different possible forms, being herein avoided the repetition all such combinations.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A method for producing a card for use by the visually impaired, the card having a length of 8.5 to 8.7 cm, and a height of 5.3 to 5.5 cm, wherein the method includes: providing a plastic base support layer, providing at least one plastic inlay support layer on top of the base support layer, providing a plastic top layer on top of the at least one plastic inlay support layer, and a plurality of tactile prints is provided on the plastic top layer by means of flatbed screen printing, the tactile prints protruding from the top plastic layer, wherein the plurality of tactile prints forms a Braille alphanumeric code or codes, thereby obtaining a card for use by the visually impaired.

2. A method according to the previous claim wherein, when the flatbed screen printing is performed, the plastic top layer is in a fixed position.

3. A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein the screen printing comprises: forming a plurality of tactile prints, curing, the cure being performed with at least one UV lamp, optionally two UV lamps, at an intensity of 80-90 %, optionally 85 %.

4. A method according to the previous claim wherein, upon forming plurality of screen prints, a UV curable varnish is directly applied on top of the formed tactile prints.

5. A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein the distance between the center of two adjacent Braille dots forming a same cell is of 2-3 mm, optionally 2.5 mm.

6. A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein the card is a bank card, an access card, a loyalty card or an employee card.

7. A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein the resulting card has a thickness of 0.65 to 0.85 mm.

8. A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein the plastic of the plastic base support layer, the at least one plastic inlay support layer and / or the plastic top layer comprises, preferably consists of, polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

9. A method according to the previous claim wherein the tactile prints forming the Braille alphanumeric representations have a size of 22-26, optionally 24.

10. A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein the tactile prints forming the Braille alphanumeric representations have a height extending from the plastic top layer of 280-320 pm, optionally 300 pm.

11. A method according to the previous claim wherein it further comprises: computationally generating a Braille alphanumeric representation, converting such alphanumeric representation into a printable code interpretable by flatbed screen printing means, and based on the printable code, thereby providing a plurality of tactile prints on the plastic top layer by means of flatbed screen printing.

12. A method according to the previous claim wherein two plastic inlay support layers are provided, and computational identification and communication means are provided in between the two plastic inlay support layers.

13. A method according to the previous claim wherein the computational identification and communication means are configured to store at least one card storable information, the at least one card storable information being correlated with or consisting of the data provided in the Braille alphanumeric code.

14. A card for use by the visually impaired, the card having a length of 8.5 to 8.7 cm, and a height of5.3 to 5.5 cm and being obtained through the method of any of the preceding claims.

15. A card according to the previous claim, the card, having a thickness of 0.65 to 0.85 mm.

16. A computational system comprising card reading means and a card according to any of the claims 14-15, the card comprising computational identification and communication means configured to store at least one card storable information, the at least one card storable information being correlated with or consisting of the data provided in the Braille alphanumeric code, and wherein, the computational system is configured to receive the at least one card storable information from the bank card and provide an identification of the card, the card user or an additional information from the at least one card storable information.

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