Information Concealment Cards

Abstract

To provide an information concealment card that suppresses leakage of confidential information even when a concealment member is removed.SOLUTION: An information concealment card 10 comprises: a card base 1 on which confidential information 5 that is information to be kept confidential is formed; and a concealment member 20 pasted on the card base 1 so as to conceal the confidential information 5. The confidential information 5 includes first confidential information 5a and second confidential information 5b having a width in a longer direction of the concealment member 20 that is larger than that of the first confidential information 5a. The concealment member 20 has a tab part 33 on one end in the longer direction in a plan view. The second confidential information 5b is arranged in a position closer to the tab part 33 than the first confidential information 5a, in the longer direction of the concealment member 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information concealment card for distribution in a state in which information is concealed. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, cards have been used that have confidential information printed on the surface, which should be kept secret, and that conceal the information by a specific method. The cards are used for various purposes, such as scratch cards for lotteries, gift cards, prepaid cards, POSA cards (registered trademark), electronic money cards, etc.

[0003] For example, in the case of POSA (Point of Sales Activation) cards, in addition to the confidential information, a barcode is printed on each card to identify it, and the PIN (Personal Identification Number) code printed on the card can only be used (activated) when the store clerk at the register reads the barcode and the purchaser's payment is completed. A purchaser can obtain the PIN code printed on the POSA card and use it as information with monetary value by entering the PIN code online. In the case of POSA cards, the PIN code must be kept secret and concealed until the point of sale so that it is not known to anyone other than the purchaser.

[0004] In the above-mentioned cards, such as POSA cards, confidential information is concealed by covering it with a concealing layer (see Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-117816 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2014-210409 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] When checking the secret information, it is necessary to peel off the concealing member including the concealing layer from the card substrate, but if the secret information can be revealed by peeling off only a small amount of the concealing member, even if the concealing member is peeled back to check the secret information and then reattached, it is difficult to find the traces of the peeling off at a glance. This makes it easy to commit fraud by stealing a look at the secret information.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an information concealing card that prevents leakage of confidential information even when the concealing member is peeled off. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present disclosure provides: An information concealing card having a card substrate on which secret information that is information to be kept secret is formed, and a concealing member attached to the card substrate so as to conceal the secret information, the concealment information includes first concealment information and second concealment information having a width in a longitudinal direction of the concealment member that is larger than the first concealment information, The concealing member has a knob portion at one end in a longitudinal direction in a plan view, The present invention provides an information concealing card, wherein the second concealed information is arranged closer to the tab than the first concealed information in the longitudinal direction of the concealing member.

[0009] In addition, the information concealment card according to the present disclosure is On the opposite side of the tab in the longitudinal direction of the concealing member, the concealing member may be attached to the card base up to an end thereof.

[0010] In addition, the information concealment card according to the present disclosure is The concealing member is A coating substrate layer for coating the secret information; a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer formed on the surface of the coated substrate layer facing the card substrate; a colored layer formed on the surface of the coated substrate layer opposite to the card substrate side, the concealing member is divided into a concealing region, which is a region where the colored layer is formed, and a transmissive region, which is a region where the colored layer is not formed, and the concealing member is attached to the card substrate by the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer; the surface of the coated substrate layer facing the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer has a matte unevenness; The coated substrate layer may have a pattern printed on its surface facing the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.

[0011] In addition, the information concealment card according to the present disclosure is The first secret information may be a two-dimensional code in which predetermined information is recorded.

[0012] In addition, the information concealment card according to the present disclosure is The second secret information may be text information.

[0013] In addition, the information concealment card according to the present disclosure is The first secret information may be a two-dimensional code in which the second secret information is recorded. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent leakage of confidential information even when the concealing member is peeled off. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a structure of an information hiding card according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 13 is a plan view showing details of a concealing member attached to an information concealing card. FIG. [Diagram 3] 11 is a cross-sectional view showing details of a concealing member attached to an information concealing card. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a concealment member sheet. [Diagram 5]1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing an information hiding card according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a part of the concealing member 20 of the information concealing card according to the present embodiment has been separated to expose a hidden information area 35. FIG. [Figure 7] 1A and 1B are cross-sectional views of the information hiding card 10 showing the state before and after peeling. [Figure 8] 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the concealing member 20 has been peeled off once and then reattached onto the secret information area 35 of the card substrate 1. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. <1. Structure of Information Concealment Cards> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a structure of an information hiding card according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1(a) is a plan view of an information hiding card 10 as seen from the front side, and FIG. 1(b) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the line AA in FIG. 1(a). FIG. 2 is a plan view showing details of a concealing member 20. In FIG. 2, like FIG. 1(a), a partially enlarged view of the information hiding card 10 as seen from the front side is shown. Since the concealing member 20 is composed of many overlapping layers, FIG. 2 shows it exploded into FIG. 2(a) and FIG. 2(b). FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a concealing member affixed portion of the information hiding card according to the present embodiment.

[0017] In Figs. 1 to 3, 1 is a card substrate, 3 is an adhesive layer, 8 is a pattern printed portion, 4 is a coated substrate layer, 5 is hidden information, 7 is a colored layer, 10 is an information concealing card, 20 is a concealing member, 31 is a concealing region, 32 is a transparent region, 33 is a tab, and 40 is code information. In the example of Fig. 1, the front side is shown as blank except for the region where the concealing member 20 and the code information 40 are present, but in reality, various information such as letters and pictures can be printed. The size of the information concealing card 10 (card substrate 1) can be set appropriately, but can be, for example, a size generally specified by (ISO / IEC7810) or JIS (JIS6301). Specifically, the length of the long side (left-right direction in Fig. 1(a)) can be 85.60 mm, and the length of the short side (up-down direction in Fig. 1(a)) can be 53.98 mm.

[0018] In the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1(b), for convenience of explanation, the thickness (vertical direction of the drawing) of each layer is drawn larger than the size (horizontal direction of the drawing) of the information hiding card 10. However, since the information hiding card 10 is card-shaped or sheet-shaped, in reality, each layer is formed thinner. For example, the width (horizontal direction of the drawing) in FIG. 1 is several centimeters to several tens of centimeters, while the thickness (vertical direction of the drawing) is about several tens of μm to several hundreds of μm. In the layer structure shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1(b), in reality, there is no distinction between upper and lower. However, for convenience of explanation, the upper side of the drawing (the side of the covering substrate layer 4) is expressed as the upper layer, and the lower side of the drawing (the side of the card substrate 1) is expressed as the lower layer. Therefore, in FIG. 1(b), the colored layer 7 is the uppermost layer, and the card substrate 1 is the lowermost layer. In this specification, the surface having the secret information as shown in FIG. 1(a) is described as the front surface, and the other surface is described as the back surface, but in reality, either side may be the front surface and either side may be the back surface.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the details of the concealing member 20. In FIG. 2, like FIG. 1(a), a partially enlarged view of the information concealing card 10 viewed from the front side is shown. Since the concealing member 20 is composed of many overlapping layers, FIG. 2 shows it in an exploded view in FIG. 2(a) and FIG. 2(b). FIG. 2(a) shows the colored layer 7 in a shaded view. FIG. 2(b) shows the relationship with the outer edge G of the colored layer 7. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the concealing member affixed portion of the information concealing card according to this embodiment. Unlike FIG. 1, FIG. 3 shows the four layers of the colored layer 7 individually, and shows all layers of the concealing member 20. In FIG. 3, FIG. 3(a) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the line BB in FIG. 2, and FIG. 3(b) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the line CC in FIG. 2.

[0020] In FIG. 3, the lower side of the drawing is the card substrate 1 side, and the upper side of the drawing is the opposite side to the card substrate 1. As shown in FIG. 3(a)(b), the concealing member 20 has an adhesive layer 3 laminated on the card substrate 1 side of the covering substrate layer 4. In addition, the first concealing layer 7aa, the second concealing layer 7ab, the white layer 7b, and the pattern layer 7c are laminated in this order from the covering substrate layer 4 side on the opposite side to the card substrate 1 of the covering substrate layer 4. The first concealing layer 7aa and the second concealing layer 7ab are sometimes collectively referred to as the concealing layer 7a. The concealing layer 7a may be formed of any number of layers. For example, it may be composed of only one layer, or may be composed of three or more layers. In this embodiment, the concealing layer 7a is composed of two layers, the first concealing layer 7aa and the second concealing layer 7ab.

[0021] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 3(b), the surface of the coated substrate layer 4 facing the adhesive layer 3 has a matte unevenness, and the surface of the coated substrate layer 4 facing the adhesive layer 3 has a pattern printed portion 8. That is, the surface of the coated substrate layer 4 facing the adhesive layer 3 is matte-finished and has a fine uneven shape. Specifically, unevenness is formed over the entire surface of one side of the coated substrate layer 4 by the matte finish. Therefore, one side of the coated substrate layer 4 has a rough matte surface. The average roughness of one side of the matte coated substrate layer 4 is preferably Ra 0.5 or more and 1.2 or less, more preferably Ra 0.7 or more and 1.0 or less.

[0022] Furthermore, a pattern-printed portion 8 is formed by printing on this surface having fine projections and recesses. Any pattern can be formed as the pattern-printed portion 8. The pattern-printed portion 8 is a portion that becomes visible when the concealing member 20 is improperly removed and reattached. For this reason, it is preferable that the pattern-printed portion 8 is formed in a pattern that can indicate that it has been improperly removed. For example, a character pattern such as "VOID" can be formed by printing.

[0023] On the front surface of the card substrate 1 (the upper surface in FIG. 1(b)), secret information 5 is formed in a secret information area, which is a predetermined area. Specifically, the secret information 5 is formed by printing. It is preferable that the secret information 5 is individual information that differs for each card. The secret information 5, which is variable information, can be formed by a known printing method such as inkjet printing or electrophotographic printing. The secret information area where the secret information 5 is formed is covered by a concealing member 20 and concealed so as to be difficult to see from the front surface of the information concealing card 10.

[0024] In this embodiment, as described later, the area where the first secret information 5a is formed is the first secret information area 35a, and the area where the second secret information 5b is formed is the second secret information area 35b (see FIG. 2(b)). Specifically, the first secret information area 35a is a rectangular area including all of the first secret information 5a, and the second secret information area 35b is a rectangular area including all of the second secret information 5b. The secret information 5 includes the first secret information 5a and the second secret information 5b whose width in the longitudinal direction of the concealment member 20 is larger than that of the first secret information 5a (see FIG. 6). The width of the first secret information 5a in the longitudinal direction of the concealment member 20 refers to the distance from one end to the other of the first secret information 5a (from the left end to the right end of the first secret information 5a in FIG. 6). The width of the second concealed information 5b in the longitudinal direction of the concealment member 20 refers to the distance from one end of the second concealed information 5b to the other end (from the left end to the right end of the second concealed information 5b in FIG. 6).

[0025] The first secret information 5a is information that requires a certain length in a direction intersecting with the longitudinal direction of the concealing member 20. The intersecting direction is typically a direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, a two-dimensional code is used as the first secret information 5a. The two-dimensional code requires a certain length in each of the vertical and horizontal directions (up-down and left-right directions in FIG. 1(a)). Therefore, a certain length is also required in the direction intersecting with the longitudinal direction of the concealing member 20 (up-down direction in FIG. 1(a)). In addition, in this embodiment, character information is used as the second secret information 5b. In the case of character information, there is no limit to the number of characters. However, it is preferable that the number of characters is more than a certain number so that the concealing member 20 must be turned over a long distance to view the entire information. In the case of character information, if it is arranged in a line along the longitudinal direction of the concealing member 20, the length of one character in the direction intersecting with the longitudinal direction of the concealing member 20 is sufficient. Therefore, in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the concealment member 20, the length thereof does not need to be as long as the first concealed information 5a.

[0026] The concealing member 20 is laminated in the following order from the outer surface side (the front side in FIG. 1(a), the upper side in FIG. 1(b)): the colored layer 7, the covering base layer 4, and the adhesive layer 3. Details will be described later, but in this embodiment, the colored layer 7 has a four-layer structure consisting of a first concealing layer 7aa, a second concealing layer 7ab, a white layer 7b, and a pattern layer 7c. Of these, the four layers included in the colored layer 7, the first concealing layer 7aa, the second concealing layer 7ab, the white layer 7b, and the pattern layer 7c, are applied to the same area. In FIG. 1(b) and FIG. 4(b), they are collectively shown as the colored layer 7 to avoid cluttering the drawings.

[0027] The covering substrate layer 4 is a substrate layer for covering the secret information region 35 (35a, 35b). The first concealing layer 7aa, the second concealing layer 7ab, the white layer 7b, and the pattern layer 7c included in the colored layer 7 do not necessarily have to be formed in the same region. However, by forming them in the same region, each layer can be printed using a plate of the same pattern, which can improve the efficiency of production.

[0028] The adhesive layer 3 is formed over substantially the entire surface of the covering substrate layer 4 except for the tab 33. As shown in FIG. 1, the concealing member 20 has a tab 33 that is not attached to the card substrate 1, and the adhesive layer 3 is provided up to the end 34 on the opposite side of the tab 33, except for the tab 33. That is, on the opposite side of the tab 33 in the longitudinal direction of the concealing member 20 (the left-right direction in FIG. 1), the end 34 is attached to the card substrate 1. In this way, the adhesive layer 3 is provided up to the end 34 on the opposite side of the tab 33, and the concealing member 20 is attached to the card substrate 1, so that it is difficult to pick up the concealing member 20 from the end 34 on the opposite side of the tab 33. For this reason, it is difficult to peel off the concealing member 20 from the end 34 side with the intention of committing fraud, and when peeling off the concealing member 20, it is from the tab 33 side. Note that if it is difficult to peel off the concealing member 20 from the end 34 on the opposite side of the tab 33, it is not necessarily necessary to provide the adhesive layer 3 up to the end 34. For example, the adhesive layer 3 may not be provided within 1 mm from the end 34. This is because if the portion where the adhesive layer 3 is not formed is only 1 mm from the end 34, it will be difficult to insert fingertips and pinch the concealment member 20.

[0029] The concealing member 20 is divided into a concealing region 31 and a transmissive region 32 in a plan view. Specifically, the concealing member 20 is divided into the concealing region 31, which is a region where the colored layer 7 is formed, and the transmissive region 32, which is a region where the colored layer 7 is not formed. The concealing region 31 is a region where the colored layer 7 is formed. In particular, it is a region that is concealed by the concealing layer 7a included in the colored layer 7. The region of the concealing member 20 other than the concealing region 31 is the transmissive region 32 that transmits light.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 1(a), the transparent region 32 is generally U-shaped. When the transparent region 32 is assumed to be a rectangle formed of three sides of the outer edge of the U-shape and one other side, the adhesive layer 3 is not formed on the end of the side (the left side in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) other than the outer edge of the U-shape of the transparent region 32. This part where the adhesive layer 3 is not formed becomes the gripping part 33 when opening the concealed part. The width L of the gripping part 33 is preferably 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less, and more preferably 2 mm or more and 8 mm or less. If the width L of the gripping part 33 is too short, it is difficult to grip the gripping part 33 with fingertips, and if the width L of the gripping part 33 is too long, it is easy to peel off from the gripping part 33 in an unexpected situation. The width of the gripping part 33 is the length in the longitudinal direction of the concealing member 20, as shown in FIG. 2(b).

[0031] As shown in Fig. 1(b), in the information hiding card 10, the colored layer 7 is disposed at a position overlapping the secret information 5. The concealment area 31 in which the colored layer 7 is formed includes the secret information area 35 (first secret information area 35a, second secret information area 35b: see Fig. 2(b)) in which the secret information 5 (first secret information 5a, second secret information 5b) is formed. In this embodiment, the colored layer 7 plays a role of hiding the secret information 5.

[0032] 1(b), the colored layer 7 is not present in the transmissive region 32. Note that printing of letters, pictures, etc. on the front and back surfaces of the card substrate 1 can be performed by a known printing method such as offset printing, gravure printing, screen printing, or inkjet printing.

[0033] In Fig. 2(a), the outer edge G of the colored layer 7 is indicated by a solid line. In Fig. 2(a), the colored layer 7 is indicated by hatching. In this embodiment, the first concealing layer 7aa, the second concealing layer 7ab, the white layer 7b, and the pattern layer 7c that constitute the colored layer 7 are all formed within the same rectangular region defined by the outer edge G.

[0034] The first concealing layer 7aa and the second concealing layer 7ab are formed to conceal the secret information 5 formed in the secret information area 35. For this reason, they are formed by applying an ink containing a pigment with high concealing properties. The white layer 7b is formed to conceal the second concealing layer 7ab so that it is difficult to see. The pattern layer 7c is a layer that forms a pattern such as a picture or a letter on the white layer 7b. The pattern formed on the pattern layer 7c allows the picture or letter to be seen from the front side of the information concealing card 10. The pattern layer 7c further enhances the concealment of the secret information 5 and also plays a role of emphasizing the presence of the concealing member 20 to the user.

[0035] As is clear from a comparison of Figures 3(a) and 3(b), in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the concealment member 20 (the left-right direction in Figure 3), the formation area of ​​the first concealed information 5a is larger than the formation area of ​​the second concealed information 5b.

[0036] In this embodiment, a two-dimensional code is used as the first secret information 5a. The two-dimensional code needs to have a certain length in each of the two-dimensional directions, vertical and horizontal, to be machine readable. Therefore, it is necessary to form the code on the card substrate 1 with a certain length in each of the two-dimensional directions, vertical and horizontal. On the other hand, since various information is printed in a narrow space on the card substrate 1, it is desired to make the area of ​​the concealment member 20 small to a certain extent. Therefore, when a two-dimensional code is used as the first secret information 5a, the width of the first secret information 5a in the direction intersecting with the longitudinal direction of the concealment member 20 is larger than that of the second secret information 5b.

[0037] In addition, in this embodiment, visible character information is used as the second secret information 5b. When character strings are arranged in a line, a width of one character is sufficient in one direction. Therefore, when the second secret information 5b is formed on the card substrate 1 as character strings arranged in the longitudinal direction of the concealing member 20, the width in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the concealing member 20 can be reduced. On the other hand, in the case of character strings, the length of the concealing member 20 in the longitudinal direction becomes long. Therefore, all of the second secret information 5b cannot be recognized unless the concealing member 20 is turned over over a long range.

[0038] The secret information area 35 is an area in which secret information is formed. As described above, in this embodiment, there are the first secret information area 35a and the second secret information area 35b. Both of them are rectangular areas indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2(b).

[0039] In the example of FIG. 1(a), the code information 40 is formed in a place other than where the concealing member 20 is formed. Although FIG. 1(a) shows an example in which a barcode, which is a one-dimensional code, is formed as the code information 40, a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark) may also be used. The code information 40, which is variable information, can be formed by a known printing method such as inkjet printing or electrophotographic printing, like the secret information 5. The code information 40 records card identification information that can identify an individual information concealment card 10.

[0040] <2. Composition of each layer> The card substrate 1 serves as the card body of the information concealment card 10. Various materials can be used for the card substrate 1 depending on the application. For example, any of natural fiber paper, coated paper, tracing paper, plastic film, etc. may be used, and may be appropriately selected depending on the application. In the case of plastic film, examples include polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene naphthalate, polyamide resins such as nylon 6, polyolefin resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polymethylpentene, vinyl resins such as polyvinyl chloride, acrylic resins such as polymethyl methacrylate, and cellulose films such as polycarbonate, cellophane, and cellulose acetate. The card substrate 1 may be a copolymer resin mainly composed of these resins, or a mixture (including a polymer alloy), or a laminate consisting of multiple layers.

[0041] The surface of the card substrate 1 may be subjected to adhesion-improving treatments such as corona discharge treatment, plasma treatment, ozone treatment, frame treatment, primer (also called anchor coat, adhesion promoter, or easy-adhesive) coating treatment, preheating treatment, dust removal treatment, vapor deposition treatment, alkali treatment, etc. Furthermore, additives such as fillers, plasticizers, colorants, and antistatic agents may be added as necessary.

[0042] The adhesive layer 3 is a layer for attaching the concealing member 20 to the card substrate 1 side. An acrylic adhesive is most preferable as the adhesive layer 3, but a natural rubber adhesive, a synthetic rubber adhesive, a silicone rubber adhesive, etc. may also be used. The amount and thickness of the adhesive applied to form the adhesive layer 3 is not particularly limited, but the amount of application is preferably 0.1 g / m 2 ~50g / m 2 The adhesive layer 3 has an adhesive property so that the concealing member 20 can be easily attached.

[0043] The covering substrate layer 4 is the substrate of the concealing member 20. The covering substrate layer 4 conceals the secret information 5 formed on the front surface of the card substrate 1, and also functions as a protective layer that protects the secret information 5 from being damaged. As the covering substrate layer 4, various materials can be applied depending on the application as long as they have heat resistance, mechanical strength, solvent resistance, etc. For example, polyester-based resins such as polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, and polyethylene naphthalate, polyamide-based resins such as nylon 6, polyolefin-based resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polymethylpentene, vinyl-based resins such as polyvinyl chloride, acrylic resins such as polymethyl methacrylate, and cellulose-based films such as polycarbonate, cellophane, and cellulose acetate can be exemplified. The covering substrate layer 4 may be a copolymer resin mainly composed of these resins, or a mixture (including a polymer alloy), or a laminate consisting of multiple layers. Usually, polyester-based films such as polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene naphthalate are preferably used because of their high heat resistance and mechanical strength.

[0044] The coated substrate layer 4 may be a stretched film or an unstretched film, but is preferably a film stretched in a monoaxial or biaxial direction for the purpose of improving strength. The coated substrate layer 4 is used in the form of a film, sheet, or board made of at least one layer of these resins. The thickness of the coated substrate layer 4 can usually be about 2.5 μm to 50 μm, preferably 2.5 μm to 12 μm, and more preferably 4 μm to 6 μm. The coated substrate layer 4 is transparent and has light transmittance. A colorant is kneaded into the coated substrate layer 4. Therefore, the coated substrate layer 4 is colored and transparent. For example, a blue colorant can be kneaded into the coated substrate layer 4.

[0045] The surface of the coated substrate layer 4 may be subjected to adhesion-improving treatments such as corona discharge treatment, plasma treatment, ozone treatment, frame treatment, primer (also called anchor coat, adhesion promoter, or easy-adhesive) coating treatment, preheating treatment, dust removal treatment, vapor deposition treatment, alkali treatment, etc. Furthermore, additives such as fillers, plasticizers, colorants, and antistatic agents may be added as necessary.

[0046] The colored layer 7 is a layer formed on the side of the covering substrate layer 4 opposite to the card substrate 1. The colored layer 7 has a concealing layer 7a for concealing secret information, a white layer 7b for further concealing the concealing layer 7a, and a pattern layer 7c. The concealing layer 7a, the white layer 7b, and the pattern layer 7c are laminated in this order from the covering substrate layer 4 side. The concealing layer 7a can be composed of one layer or two or more layers. In this embodiment, the concealing layer 7a has a two-layer structure of a first concealing layer 7aa and a second concealing layer 7ab.

[0047] A pigment having high hiding power is used for the ink forming each layer of the colored layer 7. For example, such a pigment having high hiding power may be a metal powder such as silver powder, aluminum powder, brass powder, or copper powder, calcium carbonate, zinc oxide, alumina, titanium dioxide, silica, barium sulfate, talc, kaolin, clay, carbon black, or a resin powder.

[0048] As the binder resin used in the ink forming each layer of the colored layer 7, one that holds the pigment with high hiding power and has good adhesion to the coating substrate layer 4 is selected and used. For example, natural rubber, rubber-based natural resins such as rubber hydrochloride, polybutadiene, styrene-butadiene copolymer, acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer, polyisoprene, polychloroprene, acrylic, vinyl chloride, or vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer may be used.

[0049] In this embodiment, the first concealing layer 7aa is black, and the second concealing layer 7ab is silver. For example, the first concealing layer 7aa and the second concealing layer 7ab may be formed by a known printing method such as offset printing, gravure printing, silk screen printing, etc. using black ink, silver ink made of metal powder, etc. Also, printing may be performed multiple times to improve concealment. The white layer 7b is formed by a known printing method such as offset printing, gravure printing, silk screen printing, etc. using white ink using a pigment that exhibits white color among the above pigments. The pattern layer 7c is formed by a known printing method such as offset printing, gravure printing, silk screen printing, etc. using black ink.

[0050] <3. Concealment material sheet> The concealing member 20 attached as a part of the information concealing card 10 is supplied separately and attached to the front surface of the card substrate 1. The supply is performed in the state of a concealing member sheet 20A in which the adhesive layer 3 side of the concealing member 20 is protected by a release substrate layer 6. The concealing member sheet 20A is a sheet provided with a plurality of concealing members 20 for making a predetermined range difficult to see by attaching it to the card substrate 1, which is another medium. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the concealing member sheet 20A. Of these, FIG. 4(a) is a plan view seen from the pattern layer 7c (colored layer 7) side, and FIG. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the EE line in FIG. 4(a).

[0051] The release base layer 6 has a strip-like shape that extends largely in the longitudinal direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 4(a)). The concealing members 20 are arranged at regular intervals on the release-treated release base layer 6 and attached by the adhesive layer 3. As shown in FIG. 4(a), the concealing member sheet 20A has the concealing members 20 arranged at regular intervals on one surface of the release base layer 6 along the longitudinal direction.

[0052] The release base layer 6 is a support for protecting the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 3 and supporting the concealing member 20. As the release base layer 6, various materials can be applied depending on the application. For example, any of natural fiber paper, coated paper, tracing paper, plastic film, glass, ceramics, etc. may be used, and may be appropriately selected depending on the application. In the case of plastic films, examples include polyester-based resins such as polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene naphthalate, polyamide-based resins such as nylon 6, polyolefin-based resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polymethylpentene, vinyl-based resins such as polyvinyl chloride, acrylic resins such as polymethyl methacrylate, and cellulose-based films such as polycarbonate, cellophane, and cellulose acetate. The release base layer 6 may be a copolymer resin mainly composed of these resins, or a mixture (including a polymer alloy), or a laminate consisting of multiple layers.

[0053] When a plastic film is used as the release base layer 6, it may be either a stretched film or an unstretched film, but a film stretched in a monoaxial or biaxial direction is preferred for the purpose of improving strength. The release base layer 6 is used in the form of a film, sheet, or board made of at least one layer of these resins. The release base layer 6 is subjected to a release treatment by printing or coating a release agent such as a silicone-based or acrylic-based resin on the surface that contacts the concealing member (the surface exposed in the portion where the concealing member 20 does not exist in FIG. 4: the front side of the drawing in FIG. 4).

[0054] <4. Manufacturing of information concealment cards> Next, a method for manufacturing an information concealing card according to this embodiment will be described. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing an information concealing card according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. First, in steps S1 to S4, a concealing material sheet 20A is prepared.

[0055] Specifically, in steps S1 to S5, a concealing member sheet 20A consisting of an adhesive layer 3, a coated substrate layer 4, a colored layer 7, and a peelable substrate layer 6 is manufactured. First, a matte unevenness is formed on one side of the coated substrate layer 4 (step S1). The matte unevenness is formed by applying pressure with an unevenness mold such as a steel material to form a shape. The unevenness mold is obtained by forming unevenness on the surface of the steel material by blasting such as bead blasting. The size of the beads used in bead blasting corresponds to the unevenness formed on the coated substrate layer 4. Therefore, it is preferable to use beads of a size that can make the average roughness of the surface of the coated substrate layer 4 Ra 0.5 or more and 1.2 or less, more preferably Ra 0.7 or more and 1.0 or less. The obtained unevenness mold is pressed against one side of the coated substrate layer 4 to perform a matte finish on the coated substrate layer 4.

[0056] Next, a pattern-printed portion 8 is formed by printing on the uneven surface of the coated substrate layer 4 (step S2). As the pattern-printed portion 8, a pattern capable of indicating unauthorized removal is formed. For example, a character pattern such as "VOID" is formed by printing. The pattern-printed portion 8 can be formed by a known printing method such as offset printing, gravure printing, screen printing, or inkjet printing.

[0057] Next, an adhesive is applied to the surface of the coated substrate layer 4 on which the pattern printed portion 8 is formed, to form an adhesive layer 3 (step S3). The amount and thickness of the adhesive applied in the adhesive layer 3 are not particularly limited, but the amount of application is preferably 0.1 g / m 2 ~50g / m 2The coating thickness is 0.1 μm to 50 μm. The method of applying the adhesive to form the adhesive layer 3 can be, for example, a gravure method, a spray coat method, a flexographic method, or the like, which allow for relatively high speed coating.

[0058] Next, a release substrate layer 6 is laminated on the surface of the coated substrate layer 4 on which the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 3 is formed (step S4). As the release substrate layer 6, one having a surface that comes into contact with the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 3 previously subjected to a release treatment is used.

[0059] Next, the colored layer 7 is formed on the surface of the coating substrate layer 4 opposite to the peelable substrate layer 6 (step S5). The colored layer 7 is formed in the order of the first concealing layer 7aa, the second concealing layer 7ab, the white layer 7b, and the patterned layer 7c from the coating substrate layer 4 side. The first concealing layer 7aa, the second concealing layer 7ab, the white layer 7b, and the patterned layer 7c can be formed by a known printing method such as offset printing, gravure printing, screen printing, and inkjet printing. For example, the first concealing layer 7aa is formed with black ink by screen printing, the second concealing layer 7ab is formed with silver ink, the white layer 7b is formed with white ink, and the patterned layer 7c is formed with black ink. In this embodiment, the first concealing layer 7aa, the second concealing layer 7ab, and the white layer 7b are formed by solid printing, and only the patterned layer 7c is formed in a pattern shape.

[0060] In this state, a sheet is obtained in which the concealing members 20 are attached lengthwise and widthwise on multiple faces. This sheet is slit and separated in the direction in which the concealing members 20 are aligned in a row, and the covering base material layer 4 other than the concealing members 20 is removed from the peelable base material layer 6 by so-called scrap removal. This results in a concealing member sheet 20A as shown in FIG.

[0061] Next, secret information is formed on the card substrate (step S6). The secret information 5, which is variable information, can be formed by a known printing method such as inkjet printing or electrophotographic printing. Fixed information other than the secret information is formed by a known printing method such as offset printing, gravure printing, screen printing, inkjet printing or electrophotographic printing. When the first secret information 5a and the second secret information 5b are formed as the secret information 5 as in this embodiment, either the first secret information 5a or the second secret information 5b may be formed first, or they may be formed simultaneously. When either one is formed first, either the first secret information 5a or the second secret information 5b may be formed first. In this embodiment, the first secret information 5a and the second secret information 5b are formed by gravure printing using black ink.

[0062] Next, a label application machine called a labeler is used to apply the concealing member 20, which is composed of the adhesive layer 3, the covering substrate layer 4, and the colored layer 7, to the card substrate 1 (step S7). Specifically, the concealing member 20 is peeled off from the peelable substrate layer 6 while the concealing member sheet 20A is being transported. Then, the concealing member 20 is applied to the card substrate 1 with the adhesive layer 3 facing the card substrate 1. At this time, the concealing member 20 is applied while being positioned so as to cover the concealed information area 35 on the card substrate 1 where the concealed information 5 is formed.

[0063] As a result, the secret information 5 formed on the card substrate 1 is concealed by the concealing member 20 having the colored layer 7. At this time, the information concealing card 10 is viewed from the front side (concealing member 20 side) as shown in FIG. 1(a). As shown in FIG. 1(a), in the information concealing card 10, the concealing member 20 is attached so as to cover the secret information area 35, and the colored layer 7 formed on the outermost surface is visible. In the information concealing card 10 obtained in this manner, the concealing property of the colored layer 7 makes it difficult to view the secret information 5 from the outside. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the secret information 5 from leaking.

[0064] 1(a), the areas other than the area where the concealing member 20 and the area where the code information 40 are formed are left blank and no patterns or the like are formed, but any information or pattern may be formed on the front and back surfaces of the card substrate 1 by printing or the like as necessary. Printing information on the card substrate 1 can be performed by a known printing method such as offset printing, gravure printing, screen printing, or inkjet printing.

[0065] <5. Use of information concealment cards> The information concealing card 10 as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 is displayed in a store for sale. When displayed, the hidden information cannot be seen from the outside. A user who purchases the information concealing card 10 in a store opens the concealing member 20 and separates a part of the concealing member 20 from the information concealing card 10 in order to know the hidden information. Specifically, the user pinches the knob 33 with his / her fingers and pulls the concealing member 20 along the longitudinal direction.

[0066] 6 is a diagram showing a state in which a part of the concealing member 20 of the information concealing card according to this embodiment has been separated to expose the hidden information area 35. When the user pinches and pulls the tab 33 with his or her fingers in accordance with the message "Please turn in the direction of the arrow" formed on the pattern layer 7c of the concealing member 20 as shown in FIG. 1(a), the adhesive layer 3 and the card substrate 1 are peeled off. Then, the concealing member 20 is separated from the card substrate 1. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the hidden information area 35 is completely exposed. This allows the hidden information 5 to be viewed from the front surface side.

[0067] If the two-dimensional code is a QR code (registered trademark), it is necessary that there is no dark color within 4 dots from the end of the QR code. If there is a dark color within 4 dots from the end of the QR code, the QR code may not be read correctly. This "dot" is the smallest unit that constitutes the QR code, and the actual print size varies depending on the overall size of the QR code. For example, there are QR codes with a vertical x horizontal dimension of 37 dots x 37 dots and 41 dots x 41 dots. The size of one dot is often about 0.25 mm to 0.29 mm. Therefore, on the secret information forming surface of the card substrate 1, there should be no dark color within 4 dots from the end of the QR code.

[0068] When using the information concealing card 10 as a POSA card, a user purchases the information concealing card 10 at a store in the state shown in FIG. 1(a) before the concealing member 20 is separated. At that time, the code information 40 is read by a barcode reader at the store's register. As a result, the card identification information recorded in the code information 40 is transmitted to a specified computer on the network and activated. Specifically, the information concealing card 10 with that card number is set in a usable state in the computer.

[0069] Then, a user who has purchased the information concealing card 10 separates a part of the concealing member 20 as shown in Fig. 6 to recognize the secret information. Then, the user accesses a computer on the network and transmits the secret information as a password. When a password that has already been stored in association with an activated card number is entered, authentication using the password is performed, and processing such as setting available a predetermined service that corresponds to a monetary value corresponding to the card number is performed. Then, the user who has purchased the information concealing card 10 can be provided with a service that corresponds to the monetary value.

[0070] In the case where two types of secret information are recorded as the secret information 5 as in this embodiment, authentication can be performed by two methods according to each secret information. When the second secret information 5b, which is visible information, is used, the secret information is recognized visually as described above, and then the recognized secret information is used as a password or the like to perform authentication on a computer on a network.

[0071] On the other hand, when the first secret information 5a, which is machine-readable information, is used, the recorded information is read from the two-dimensional code or the like by a code reader. Then, the computer performs a predetermined process using the read recorded information, and performs authentication on the computer on the network using the read recorded information as a password or the like. The two-dimensional code can also record the URL to be accessed, a command to start up a browser for access, and the like. In this case, the user can access the computer on the network and receive services simply by reading the first secret information 5a with a code reader.

[0072] The first secret information 5a can record the second secret information 5b. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, if the second secret information 5b is a visible 16-character character string "1234567890ABCDEF," "1234567890ABCDEF" can be recorded as recorded information in the first secret information 5a, which is a two-dimensional code. In this case, when the first secret information 5a is read with a code reader, the recorded character information "1234567890ABCDEF" can be obtained. As described above, if the first secret information 5a also records the URL of the access destination, when the first secret information 5a is read with a code reader, a computer connected to the code reader can access a computer on the network specified by the URL and then automatically input the recorded character string.

[0073] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the information concealing card 10 showing the state before and after peeling. FIG. 7(a) shows the state when pasted, and FIG. 7(b) shows the state when peeled. As shown in FIG. 7(a), in the information concealing card 10 according to this embodiment, the surface of the adhesive layer 3 side of the covering base material layer 4 is matte-finished to have matte unevenness. The covering base material layer 4 has a pattern-printed part 8 on the matte unevenness. Before the concealing member 20 is peeled off, the pattern-printed part 8 is sandwiched between the covering base material layer 4 and the adhesive layer 3. When the concealing member 20 is peeled off, the adhesive layer 3 is pulled to the covering base material layer 4 side and the card base material 1 side, respectively. Therefore, the ink printed as the pattern-printed part 8 is pulled from the covering base material layer 4 side to the adhesive layer 3 side. Then, a space is formed between the covering base material layer 4 and the ink, and air enters the space. As a result, when viewed from the colored layer 7 side, the pattern-printed part 8 appears in a different color.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 7(b), the ink printed as the pattern-printed portion 8 is pulled from the coated substrate layer 4 side to the adhesive layer 3 side, and a space P is generated. Air enters the space P, and the pattern-printed portion 8 appears to be a different color from the other portions. Once peeled off, the concealing member 20 retains the pattern of the pattern-printed portion 8. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which the concealing member 20 is reattached to the secret information area 35 of the card substrate 1 after being peeled off once. In the case where a large number of character patterns of "VOID" are formed as the pattern-printed portion 8, when the pattern-printed portion 8 is peeled off and then reattached, as shown in FIG. 8, the character patterns of "VOID" are visible. Therefore, it becomes clear that the card has been peeled off once, and fraud can be detected. In FIG. 8, the transparent region 32 is shown in white and the "VOID" pattern is shown in black for convenience of illustration, but in reality, the color of the transparent region 32 is relatively dark, and the color of the "VOID" pattern is relatively light. When the coated substrate layer 4 is blue and transparent, the blue of the transmissive region 32 is relatively dark, and the blue of the "VOID" pattern is relatively light. Due to this difference in color shade, the pattern produced by the pattern-printed portion 8 can be recognized.

[0075] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, Fig. 6, etc., in the longitudinal direction of the concealing member 20 (the left-right direction in Fig. 2 and Fig. 6), the second concealed information 5b is disposed closer to the tab 33 than the first concealed information 5a. As a result, in order to obtain the first concealed information 5a, the concealing member 20 must be peeled off by a length that exposes all of the second concealed information 5b, the length of which in the longitudinal direction of the concealing member 20 is greater than the first concealed information 5a. As a result, the area of ​​the concealing member 20 to be peeled off becomes larger, and the portion where the pattern by the pattern printing unit 8 is visibly revealed also increases. As a result, even if the concealing member 20 is put back, it is easy to know that it has been peeled off.

[0076] Consider a case where the first secret information 5a and the second secret information 5b are arranged in reverse. That is, in the longitudinal direction of the concealing member 20, the first secret information 5a is arranged closer to the tab 33 than the second secret information 5b. In this case, the first secret information 5a is revealed in its entirety by merely peeling the concealing member 20 slightly from the tab 33. Then, a person who peels the concealing member 20 can obtain all of the first secret information 5a. For example, if the first secret information 5a is character information or the like, a person can recognize the first secret information 5a, and if the first secret information 5a is code information such as a two-dimensional code, the first secret information 5a can be obtained instantly by a reading device.

[0077] In this way, when the first secret information 5a is disposed closer to the tab 33 than the second secret information 5b, the first secret information 5a can be obtained by simply peeling off a small portion of the concealing member 20. Therefore, even if the concealing member 20 is reattached, it is not noticeable. The pattern such as "VOID" by the pattern printing portion 8 is only partially revealed. By disposing the second secret information 5b closer to the tab 33 than the first secret information 5a, it is possible to make it difficult to obtain the information even if a fraudulent act is carried out.

[0078] Although the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment and various modifications are possible. For example, in the above embodiment, a machine-readable two-dimensional code that records information is used as the first secret information, but the first secret information is not limited to the two-dimensional code and other code information such as a one-dimensional barcode may be used.

[0079] In the above embodiment, machine-readable code information is used as the first secret information, but visible secret information other than code information may be used.

[0080] In addition, in the above embodiment, the information concealment card is used as a POSA (Point of Sales Activation) card, but the information concealment card can be used as various cards for concealing confidential information, such as a scratch card for a lottery, a gift card, a prepaid card, a POSA card (registered trademark), an electronic money card, etc.

[0081] In the above embodiment, the code information 40 is formed on the front surface of the card substrate 1. However, when the information concealing card is used as a lottery ticket or the like, it is not necessary to form the code information on the front or back surface.

[0082] In addition, in the above embodiment, the surface of the coated substrate layer 4 facing the adhesive layer 3 has a matte unevenness, and the surface of the coated substrate layer 4 facing the adhesive layer 3 has a pattern printed portion 8, but these do not necessarily have to be present. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1. Card substrate 3. Adhesive layer 4. Covering substrate layer 5. Confidential Information 5a First confidential information 5b Second confidential information 6. Peel-off base layer 7...Colored layer 7a Hiding layer 7aa...First concealment layer 7ab...Second concealment layer 7b...white layer 7c Pattern layer 8. Pattern printing section 10. Information Concealment Card 20....Concealment member 20A···Concealment material sheet 31. Hidden Area 32...transparent area 33...Knob 35. Confidential Information Area 35a First secret information area 35b Second secret information area 40 Code Information

Claims

1. An information concealing card having a card substrate on which secret information that is information to be kept secret is formed, and a concealing member attached to the card substrate so as to conceal the secret information, the concealment information includes first concealment information and second concealment information having a width in a longitudinal direction of the concealment member that is larger than the first concealment information, The concealing member has a knob portion at one end in a longitudinal direction in a plan view, In a longitudinal direction of the concealment member, the second concealed information is disposed closer to the knob portion than the first concealed information, An information concealing card, wherein the second concealed information is character information arranged in a line along the longitudinal direction of the concealing member.

2. 2. The information concealing card according to claim 1, wherein the concealing member is attached to the card substrate up to an end thereof on a side opposite to the tab in the longitudinal direction of the concealing member.

3. The concealing member is A coating substrate layer for coating the secret information; a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer formed on the surface of the coated substrate layer facing the card substrate; a colored layer formed on the surface of the coated substrate layer opposite to the card substrate side, the concealing member is divided into a concealing region, which is a region where the colored layer is formed, and a transmissive region, which is a region where the colored layer is not formed, and the concealing member is attached to the card substrate by the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer; the surface of the coated substrate layer facing the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer has a matte unevenness; 3. The information concealment card according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the coated substrate layer facing the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer has a pattern printed portion.

4. 4. The information concealing card according to claim 1, wherein the first secret information is a two-dimensional code in which predetermined information is recorded.

5. 5. The information concealing card according to claim 1, wherein the first secret information is a two-dimensional code in which the second secret information is recorded.

Images