plastic card

Abstract

To provide plastic cards that have both visual texture and tactile weight feeling as metallic texture that gives the cards luxurious feeling, while also being flexible enough to meet the JIS X 6301 2005 8.1 standard, and can be taken out from a card stocker in which conventional plastic cards are stacked and stored and a lowermost card can be taken out from the bottom side of the stacked cards.SOLUTION: A plastic card includes an elastic sheet filled with metal powder and placed inside the card. The plastic card is characterized in that the elastic sheet filled with the metal powder is placed inside the card such that an edge of the elastic sheet filled with the metal powder is located inward from the edge of the card by a predetermined length or more.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to plastic cards (including those made of plastic and having magnetic recording, contact communication, and non-contact communication functions) used for credit cards, debit cards, cash cards, membership cards, etc. [Background technology]

[0002] It is becoming increasingly important for card issuers to differentiate their cards from those of their competitors in order to increase the number of card sign-ups by increasing the desire of card users to own cards, and to retain loyal customers by providing exclusive cards for loyal customers. One way to differentiate is through the demand for cards with excellent design.

[0003] Among these, there is a growing demand for cards with a metallic texture, such as gold cards and platinum cards, cards made entirely of metal, and cards with a heavy design, such as black cards, and various cards have been proposed to give cards a metallic texture.

[0004] In particular, a technique for increasing weight has been disclosed in which high-density metal particles or whiskers are incorporated into the composition of the card substrate, and the surface layer that forms the card is formed by two-color molding or primary and secondary molding processes. Specifically, the composition of the card substrate contains heavy metals with a specific gravity of 4 or more and a resistivity of 4×10-8 Ω·m or more. Incorporating heavy metals into the composition of the card substrate in this way gives the card a sense of weight, and the texture and weightiness enhance the card's luxurious feel (Patent Document 1 below).

[0005] Furthermore, a technique has been disclosed in which a metal vapor deposition layer or metal foil is arranged so that it can be recognized from the surface of the card when forming the card, thereby forming a card with a visually metallic texture (Patent Document 2 below).

[0006] However, as in the technology of Patent Document 1 below, when heavy metals are incorporated into the composition of the card substrate when forming a card, even if the formed card has the same weight as metal, the texture of the card is not the same as metal, and therefore lacks a sense of luxury. Furthermore, because the surface layer that forms the card is formed by a two-color molding method or a primary / secondary molding process, and furthermore, a metal is incorporated into the composition of the card substrate, it cannot be manufactured using the usual card manufacturing process in which multiple sheets are stacked to form a multi-sided sheet shape. This has led to the issue of high manufacturing costs.

[0007] Furthermore, in the case of cards in which a metal vapor deposition layer or metal foil is arranged so that it can be seen from the surface of the card, as in the technology of Patent Document 2 below, they can be manufactured using the same manufacturing process as regular plastic cards, which helps to reduce manufacturing costs. However, even though the visual texture of the card is that of metal, there is a problem in that the card does not have a sense of weight, and therefore lacks a sense of luxury.

[0008] To solve the above problems, a technology has been disclosed that allows the card to be manufactured using the same manufacturing process as a regular plastic card by incorporating a high metal component, specifically a metal plate, to increase the card's weight (Patent Documents 3 and 4 listed below).

[0009] However, with the technology of Patent Documents 3 and 4, since the card contains a built-in metal member, it is difficult for the static bending strength of the card to meet the standard of JIS X 6301 2005 8.1, specifically, and the card is difficult to bend, which poses a problem that the card cannot be removed from a conventional card stocker that stores plastic cards in a stack and removes them from the bottom of the stack. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4564136 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5708109 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 6777836 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-87124 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] The present invention has been made to address the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a plastic card that combines both the visual texture of a metallic feel that gives the card a luxurious feel and a tactile weight, while also having flexibility that meets the standard of JIS X 6301 2005 8.1, thereby enabling the card to be removed from a conventional card stocker that stores plastic cards in a stack and removes them from the bottom of the stack. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] As a means for solving the above problem, the invention described in claim 1 is a plastic card in which an elastic sheet filled with metal powder is disposed inside the card, This is a plastic card characterized in that the elastic sheet filled with metal powder is arranged so that the end of the elastic sheet filled with metal powder is located inside the card by a predetermined length or more from the end of the card.

[0013] The invention described in claim 2 further comprises a contact IC module having an external terminal, The plastic card described in claim 1 is characterized in that the elastic sheet filled with metal powder has a notch or hole and is positioned so as not to overlap the contact IC module in a planar view.

[0014] The invention described in claim 3 further comprises a contactless IC module for performing contactless communication, the elastic sheet filled with the metal powder has a notch or a hole, and is arranged so as not to overlap the contactless IC module in a plan view; The plastic card described in claim 1 is characterized in that an antenna for performing the contactless communication is arranged between the end of the elastic sheet filled with the metal powder and the end of the card.

[0015] The invention described in claim 4 further comprises a dual interface IC module having an external terminal and performing contact communication and contactless communication, the metal powder-filled elastic sheet has a notch or a hole and is arranged so as not to overlap the dual interface IC module in a plan view; The plastic card described in claim 1 is characterized in that an antenna for performing the contactless communication is arranged between the end of the elastic sheet filled with the metal powder and the end of the card.

[0016] The invention described in claim 5 is a plastic card described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the elastic sheet filled with metal powder placed inside the plastic card is not placed in the lower half of the card.

[0017] The invention described in claim 6 is a plastic card described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a layer formed of metal or a material containing metal is arranged in a position that can be seen from the surface of the card in the thickness direction or side direction.

[0018] The invention described in claim 7 is a method for manufacturing a plastic card, characterized in that an elastic sheet filled with metal powder is placed inside a plastic card, and the elastic sheet filled with metal powder is placed so that the end of the elastic sheet filled with metal powder is positioned inside the card by a predetermined length or more than the end of the card. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the invention described in claim 1, the substance that gives the card weight is not a metal plate that is difficult to bend, but an elastic sheet with dispersed metal powder that has flexibility that meets the standard of JIS X 6301 2005 8.1. Therefore, in equipment used for processing, inspecting, issuing, etc. of individual cards, the card can be used without any special modifications in equipment that handles ordinary plastic cards, and therefore a card with a sense of weight can be obtained at low cost.

[0020] Furthermore, since the area near the end faces of the card is made only of plastic material, when producing cards in multi-sided sheet form, they can be easily punched and separated into individual pieces using processing equipment for producing regular plastic cards, rather than using dedicated equipment, so it is possible to obtain heavy cards at low cost.

[0021] According to the invention described in claim 2, a contact IC module having terminals corresponding to the external terminals specified in JIS X 6320-2 can be easily mounted, so that a contact IC card having a heavy feel but contact communication function can be obtained.

[0022] According to the invention described in claim 3, an IC module with contactless communication function can be easily mounted, and by connecting the IC module and the antenna, a contactless IC card with contactless communication function can be obtained while being heavy. In this case, the shape of the card is not limited to the ID-1 size specified in JIS X 6301, such as a circle, but may be any shape.

[0023] According to the invention described in claim 4, a dual interface IC module that supports contact and contactless communication and has terminals that correspond to the external terminals specified in JIS X 6320-2 can be easily mounted, and by connecting the IC module to an antenna, a dual interface IC card that is heavy but has both contact and contactless communication functions can be obtained.

[0024] Furthermore, according to the invention described in claim 5, since embossing as specified in JIS X 6302-1 can be applied, it is possible to obtain a card that has a sense of weight and on which information can be recorded by embossing.

[0025] According to the invention as set forth in claim 6, a card can be obtained that has a weighty feel and a luxurious feel on the card surface, similar to that of metal.

[0026] Furthermore, according to the invention described in claim 7, a card that has a heavy feel and a luxurious feel with a card surface that is similar to that of metal can be manufactured at low cost using an existing card manufacturing process in which multiple sheets are stacked in a multi-faceted sheet shape. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of a plastic card according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a plastic card according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a contact IC card, which is a plastic card, according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a contact IC card, which is a plastic card, according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a non-contact IC card, which is a plastic card, according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a non-contact IC card, which is a plastic card, according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a dual-interface IC card, which is a plastic card, according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a dual-interface IC card, which is a plastic card, according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9]FIG. 10 is a plan view of a plastic card according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. In the following description, drawings will be referred to as appropriate, but the embodiments shown in the drawings are merely examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in these drawings.

[0029] In addition, all components that perform the same or similar functions are given the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0030] (First embodiment) A plastic card according to a first embodiment of the present invention and a method for manufacturing the same will now be described. The first embodiment is a basic configuration in which no IC module is mounted on the card. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a plastic card according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, an elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is disposed inside the plastic card 1. In other words, since the plastic card 1 contains the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder, the card has a similar weight to a metal card.

[0031] The elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is arranged so as not to reach the edge of the card 1. In other words, the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is arranged so that the edge of the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is located inside the card 1 by a predetermined length a or more from the edge of the card 1.

[0032] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a plastic card according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown, card 1 has a multilayer structure consisting, from the surface, of protective layer 3, printed layer 4, metallized layer 5, concealing layer 6, exterior substrate 7a (front side), intermediate substrate 8a (front side), core substrate 9, intermediate substrate 8b (rear side), and exterior substrate 7b (rear side). Although not shown in the figure, the back side of the card may also have protective layer 3, printed layer 4, metallized layer 5, and / or concealing layer 6.

[0033] Elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is embedded in a layer of core substrate 9 in the center of card 1. Elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is arranged so that the end of elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is located inside card 1 by a predetermined length a or more from the end of card 1. If card 1 is a magnetic card, magnetic tape 10 is embedded in exterior substrate 7 on the front side, and concealing layer 6 thereon conceals magnetic tape 10.

[0034] Next, a method for manufacturing a plastic card according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, an elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is prepared. A common material can be used for the material of the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder; for example, tungsten powder with an average particle size of 1 to 20 μm is dispersed in a mixed resin consisting of an ethyl acrylate polymer and an ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer, and the resulting mixture is extruded to form a sheet. The thickness of the sheet is approximately 0.05 to 0.6 mm.

[0035] Although other metal powder materials such as iron, stainless steel, copper, nickel, tin, and zinc can be used, tungsten is preferred because it has a high specific gravity and is less expensive than precious metals such as gold and has low toxicity to the human body, making it ideal for use as a sheet with a specific gravity of around 7 to 10.

[0036] The elastic sheet is punched to a size that fits into the card and does not extend to the edge of the card.

[0037] In order to place the elastic sheet within the core substrate 9 of the card, a hole of the same size as the elastic sheet 2 is formed in the plastic sheet that will serve as the core substrate. Common materials used for card substrates, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyethylene terephthalate copolymer (PET-G), are used for the core substrate 9. In this case, it is desirable that the thickness of the core substrate 9 be the same as that of the elastic sheet 2. This prevents appearance defects such as marks from the elastic sheet 2 itself and blemishes caused by gaps between the laminated sheets due to differences in thickness between the elastic sheet 2 and the core substrate 9 during thermal lamination.

[0038] The elastic sheet 2 is fitted into the hole in the core substrate 9, and is sandwiched between plastic sheets that form the intermediate substrates 8a and 8b on both sides. Materials commonly used for card substrates, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene terephthalate copolymer (PET-G), are used for the intermediate substrates 8a and 8b. It is also possible to perform thermal lamination once the intermediate substrates 8a and 8b have been laminated. The core substrate 9 and the intermediate substrates 8a and 8b may be fused together by the heat of the thermal lamination, or an adhesive layer may be placed between the core substrate 9 and the intermediate substrates 8a and 8b.

[0039] After the core substrate is sandwiched between intermediate substrates, the front and back of the core substrate are further sandwiched between exterior substrates 7a and 7b. Materials commonly used for exterior card substrates, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate copolymer (PET-G), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), are used for exterior substrates 7a and 7b. Thermal lamination can also be performed once the exterior substrates 7a and 7b are laminated. The intermediate substrate 8a and the exterior substrate 7a, and the intermediate substrate 8b and the exterior substrate 7b, can be fused together by heat during thermal lamination, or an adhesive layer can be placed between the intermediate substrate 8a and the exterior substrate 7a, and between the intermediate substrate 8b and the exterior substrate 7b.

[0040] Next, the metal vapor deposition layer 5 is transferred to any surface of the card (all or part of the exterior, including the front, back, and sides of the card) using a known method such as thermal lamination. Furthermore, a printing layer 4, which comprises images, letters, etc., is formed on the transferred metal vapor deposition layer 5 using a printing method such as general offset printing or silk screen printing. The metal vapor deposition layer can also be configured to be transferred to the exterior substrate 7a in advance, and then printed on top of that. A protective layer 3, etc., can also be provided on the printing layer 4 to protect the printing layer 4, the metal vapor deposition layer 5, etc.

[0041] A magnetic tape 10 and a concealing layer 6 that conceals it can also be placed under the metal vapor deposition layer 5. The concealing layer 6 is formed by silk screen printing or the like. At least the exterior substrates 7a and 7b are integrated by thermal lamination, and the necessary layers such as the metal vapor deposition layer 5, the printing layer 4, and the protective layer 3 are formed. The card body is then obtained by punching out the card into individual pieces by a punching process. Through the above process, a plastic card according to the first embodiment of the present invention can be manufactured at low cost and with a weight similar to that of a metal card.

[0042] Furthermore, the plastic card described above may have a layer formed of metal or a material containing metal in its composition and having a metallic appearance at a position visible from the surface of the card in the thickness direction or side direction. Here, the surface of the card includes all or part of the exterior, including the front, back, and sides of the card. This layer may be formed by foil, vapor deposition, sputtering, or the like. This allows for a card that has the same weight and feel as a metal card, and also has a premium feel on the card surface similar to that of a metal card.

[0043] (Second embodiment) A plastic card according to a second embodiment of the present invention and a method for manufacturing the same will be described. The second embodiment is a contact IC card that performs contact communication by incorporating a contact IC module into a card having the basic configuration of the first embodiment.

[0044] Fig. 3 is a plan view of a contact-type IC card, which is a plastic card, according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The positional relationship between the card 1 and the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is the same as in the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1. That is, the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is arranged so that it does not reach the edge of the card 1. In other words, the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is arranged so that its edge is located inside the card 1 by a predetermined length a or more from the edge of the card 1.

[0045] In the second embodiment, a contact IC module 11 having external terminals used for contact communication is disposed in the upper left portion of the card 1. As shown in Fig. 3, a notch or hole is provided in the upper left portion of the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder so as not to overlap with the contact IC module 11 in a plan view of the card 1.

[0046] Fig. 3(a) shows an example in which a notch is provided in the upper left part of the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder. Fig. 3(b) shows an example in which a notch is provided in the left part of the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder so as to avoid the contact-type IC module 11. Fig. 3(c) shows an example in which a hole is provided in the upper left part of the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder so as to avoid the contact-type IC module 11.

[0047] In this way, by providing notches or holes in the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder, a contact IC module having external terminals as specified in JIS X 6320-2:2009 can be easily mounted on the plastic card 1 of the first embodiment. This makes it possible to obtain a contact IC card that has contact communication functionality while having the same weight as a metal card.

[0048] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a contact IC card, which is a plastic card, according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Note that Fig. 4 omits the protective layer 3, printed layer 4, metal vapor deposition layer 5, etc. on the front and back surfaces of the card. As in Fig. 2, the protective layer 3, printed layer 4, metal vapor deposition layer 5, etc. may be present on the front and back surfaces of the card.

[0049] As shown in Figure 4, card 1 has a multi-layer structure consisting of, from the surface, exterior substrate 7a (front side), intermediate substrate 8a (front side), core substrate 9, intermediate substrate 8a (rear side), and exterior substrate 7b (rear side).

[0050] The elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is embedded in a layer of the core substrate 9 in the center of the card 1. The elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is arranged so that the end of the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is located inside the card 1 by a predetermined length a or more from the end of the card 1.

[0051] In addition, in a part of the area of ​​card 1 where elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is not arranged, a recess is provided from the card surface to core substrate 9, and a contact IC module 11 with contact communication function is fitted in this recess. An anchor layer can be provided as needed, and can be provided as an OVD (Optical Variable Device) layer having a security image such as a hologram or diffraction grating, for example.

[0052] Next, a method for manufacturing a plastic card according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, an elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is prepared. A common material can be used for the material of the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder; for example, tungsten powder with an average particle size of 1 to 20 μm is dispersed in a mixed resin consisting of an ethyl acrylate polymer and an ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer, and the resulting mixture is extruded to form a sheet. The thickness of the sheet is approximately 0.05 to 0.6 mm.

[0053] Although other metal powder materials such as iron, stainless steel, copper, nickel, tin, and zinc can be used, tungsten is preferred because it has a high specific gravity and is less expensive than precious metals such as gold and has low toxicity to the human body, making it ideal for use as a sheet with a specific gravity of around 7 to 10.

[0054] The elastic sheet 2 is formed by punching into a size that does not reach the edge of the card and fits into the card.

[0055] In order to place the elastic sheet 2 within the core substrate 9 of the card, a hole of the same size as the elastic sheet 2 is formed in the plastic sheet that will become the core substrate 9. The core substrate 2 is made of a material commonly used for card substrates, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyethylene terephthalate copolymer (PET-G). In this case, it is desirable that the thickness of the core substrate 9 be the same as that of the elastic sheet 2. By doing so, it is possible to prevent appearance defects such as marks from the elastic sheet 2 itself and pitting caused by gaps between the laminated sheets due to differences in thickness between the elastic sheet 2 and the core substrate 9 during thermal lamination.

[0056] The elastic sheet 2 is fitted into the hole in the core substrate 9, and is sandwiched between plastic sheets that become the intermediate substrates 8a and 8b on both sides. Materials commonly used for card substrates, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene terephthalate copolymer (PET-G), are used for the intermediate substrates 8a and 8b. It is also possible to perform thermal lamination once the intermediate substrates 8a and 8b have been laminated. The core substrate 9 and the intermediate substrates 8a and 8b may be fused together by the heat of the thermal lamination, or an adhesive layer may be placed between the core substrate 9 and the intermediate substrates 8a and 8b.

[0057] After the core substrate 9 is sandwiched between intermediate substrates 8a and 8b, the front and back of the substrates are further sandwiched between exterior substrates 7a and 7b. Materials commonly used for exterior substrates of cards, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate copolymer (PET-G), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), are used for the exterior substrates 7a and 7b. It is also possible to perform thermal lamination once the exterior substrates 7a and 7b are laminated. The intermediate substrates 8a and 8b and the exterior substrates 7a and 7b may be fused together by the heat of thermal lamination, or an adhesive layer may be placed between the intermediate substrates 8a and 8b and the exterior substrates 7a and 7b.

[0058] Next, although not shown, a metal vapor deposition layer 5 is transferred to any surface of the card (all or part of the exterior, including the front, back, and sides of the card) using a known method such as thermal lamination. Then, a printing layer 4, which comprises images, letters, etc., is formed on the transferred metal vapor deposition layer 5 using a printing method such as general offset printing or silk screen printing. The metal vapor deposition layer 5 can also be configured to be transferred to the exterior substrate 7a in advance, and then printed on top of it. A protective layer 3, etc., can be provided on the printing layer 4 to protect the printing layer 4, metal vapor deposition layer 5, etc.

[0059] A magnetic tape 10 and a concealing layer 6 that conceals it can also be placed under the metal vapor deposition layer 5. The concealing layer 6 is formed by silk screen printing or the like. At least the exterior base materials 7a and 7b are integrated by thermal lamination, and the necessary layers such as the metal vapor deposition layer 5, the printing layer 4, and the protective layer 3 are formed, and then the card body is formed by punching out the individual card pieces by a punching process.

[0060] A cavity for embedding the IC module in the card body is formed by milling. A notch or hole is provided in the upper left corner of the elastic sheet, so milling can be easily performed using equipment used to manufacture plastic contact IC cards.

[0061] A contact IC module 11 with contact communication function is fitted into the recess, heat and pressure are applied to the surface of the IC module, and the IC module 11 is attached to the recess (cavity) of the card body using an adhesive such as a hot melt sheet, thereby obtaining a contact IC card.

[0062] The IC module 11 is equipped with an IC chip with contact-type communication capabilities and has external connection terminals 21 used for contact-type communication. The external connection terminals 21 are formed from multiple copper foil patterns etched onto the surface of an insulating substrate such as glass epoxy or PET with a thickness of 50 to 200 μm. The exposed portions of the copper foil patterns are plated with 0.5 to 3 μm of nickel, and then plated with 0.01 to 0.3 μm of gold. However, the plating configuration is not limited to this. The IC chip is bonded to the glass epoxy or PET with a die-attach adhesive, and is wire-bonded directly to the external connection terminals 21 or to the patterns connected to them with gold or copper wires with a diameter of 10 to 40 μm, and is sealed with epoxy resin or the like to protect the IC chip.

[0063] (Third embodiment) The following describes a plastic card and its manufacturing method according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The third embodiment is a contactless IC card that has the basic configuration of the first embodiment, but is equipped with a contactless IC module and an antenna for contactless communication.

[0064] Fig. 5 is a plan view of a contactless IC card, which is a plastic card, according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The positional relationship between the card 1 and the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is the same as in the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1. That is, the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is arranged so that it does not reach the edge of the card 1. In other words, the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is arranged so that its edge is located inside the card 1 by a predetermined length a or more from the edge of the card 1.

[0065] In the third embodiment, a contactless IC module 13 is disposed on the card 1. A notch or a hole is provided in a part of the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder so as not to overlap with the contactless IC module 13 in a plan view of the card 1. In the example of Fig. 5, the contactless IC module 13 is provided in the lower right part of the card 1, and a notch is provided in the lower right part of the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder so as not to overlap with the contactless IC module 13 in a plan view of the card 1.

[0066] Furthermore, an antenna circuit 14 for contactless communication is disposed between the end of the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder and the end of the card 1. That is, the antenna circuit 14 is disposed so as not to overlap with the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder in a plan view of the card 1. This reduces the eddy current that is generated.

[0067] By adopting this arrangement, it is possible to easily mount IC module 13 and antenna circuit 14 with contactless communication capabilities on plastic card 1 of the first embodiment, thereby obtaining a contactless IC card with contactless communication capabilities while having the same weight as a metal card. In this case, the shape of the card is not limited to the ID-1 size specified in JIS X 6301:2005, and may be any shape, such as circular.

[0068] Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a contactless IC card, which is a plastic card, according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Note that Fig. 6 omits the protective layer 3, printed layer 4, metal vapor deposition layer 5, etc. on the front and back surfaces of the card. As in Fig. 2, the protective layer 3, printed layer 4, metal vapor deposition layer 5, etc. may be present on the front and back surfaces of the card.

[0069] 6, card 1 has a multilayer structure consisting of, from the surface, exterior substrate 7a (front side), intermediate substrate 8a (front side), core substrate 9a (front side), core substrate 9b (rear side), intermediate substrate 8b (rear side), and exterior substrate 7b (rear side). The core substrate is made up of two layers, 9a and 9b.

[0070] The elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is embedded in the layers of core substrates 9a and 9b in the center of the card 1. The elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is arranged so that the end of the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is located inside the card 1 by a predetermined length a or more from the end of the card 1.

[0071] Furthermore, in a portion of the area of ​​the card 1 where the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is not disposed, an antenna circuit 14 for contactless communication is disposed between the two-layer core substrates 9a and 9b. That is, the antenna circuit 14 is disposed so as not to overlap the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder in a plan view of the card 1. This reduces the eddy current that is generated.

[0072] Next, a method for manufacturing a plastic card according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, an elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is prepared. A common material can be used for the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder; for example, tungsten powder with an average particle size of 1 to 20 μm is dispersed in a mixed resin made of an ethyl acrylate polymer and an ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer, and the resulting mixture is extruded to form a sheet. The sheet thickness is approximately 0.05 to 0.6 mm.

[0073] Although other metal powder materials such as iron, stainless steel, copper, nickel, tin, and zinc can be used, tungsten is preferred because it has a high specific gravity and is less expensive than precious metals such as gold and has low toxicity to the human body, making it ideal for use as a sheet with a specific gravity of around 7 to 10.

[0074] The elastic sheet is punched to a size that fits into the card and does not extend to the edge of the card. A notch or hole is made in the elastic sheet at the desired position where the contactless IC module will be mounted.

[0075] The core substrate is composed of two layers, core substrate 9a and 9b, and holes the same size as the elastic sheets are formed in the plastic sheets that form the core substrate to place the elastic sheets within the card's core substrate. Common card substrate materials, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene terephthalate copolymer (PET-G), are used for the core substrate. It is desirable that the thickness of core substrates 9a and 9b be the same as that of elastic sheet 2 when the two layers are combined. This prevents appearance defects, such as marks from elastic sheet 2 itself during thermal lamination, and blemishes caused by gaps between the laminated sheets due to differences in thickness between elastic sheet 2 and core substrates 9a and 9b.

[0076] A contactless IC module 13 for performing contactless communication is disposed on one of the core substrates, 9a. An antenna circuit 14 for performing contactless communication is disposed between the two-layer core substrates, 9a and 9b. The antenna circuit 14 is formed on one of the core substrates, 9b, using a wire such as copper with a diameter of 50 to 150 μm. The IC module 13 is formed by adhering an IC chip to a lead frame with a die-attach adhesive, wire-bonding the IC chip to the lead frame with a wire such as gold or copper with a diameter of 10 to 40 μm, and sealing the IC chip with epoxy resin or the like to protect it. The IC module 13 is connected to the antenna circuit 14 by thermocompression bonding (TC bonding), soldering, or other methods. Holes may be provided in one or both of the core substrates at positions corresponding to the IC modules.

[0077] Two-layer core substrates are stacked with the antenna circuit 14 on the inside, and elastic sheets 2 are inserted into holes drilled in both core substrates. The core substrates are then sandwiched between plastic sheets that form intermediate substrates 8a and 8b. Materials commonly used for card substrates, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene terephthalate copolymer (PET-G), are used for intermediate substrates 8a and 8b. Thermal lamination can also be performed once the intermediate substrates 8a and 8b are laminated. The core substrates 9a and 9b and the intermediate substrates 8a and 8b can be fused together using the heat of thermal lamination, or they can be bonded by using an adhesive layer between the core substrates 9a and 9b and the intermediate substrates 8a and 8b.

[0078] Core substrates 9a and 9b are sandwiched between intermediate substrates 8a and 8b, which are then sandwiched between exterior substrates 7a and 7b on the front and back. Materials commonly used for exterior card substrates, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate copolymer (PET-G), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), are used for exterior substrates 7a and 7b. Thermal lamination can also be performed once the exterior substrates 7a and 7b are laminated. The intermediate substrates 8a and 8b and the exterior substrates 7a and 7b can be fused together by heat during thermal lamination, or an adhesive layer can be placed between the intermediate substrates 8a and 8b and the exterior substrates 7a and 7b.

[0079] Next, the metal vapor deposition layer 5 is transferred to any surface of the card (all or part of the exterior, including the front, back, and sides of the card) using a known method such as thermal lamination. Furthermore, a printing layer 4, which comprises images, letters, etc., is formed on the transferred metal vapor deposition layer 5 using a printing method such as general offset printing or silk screen printing. The metal vapor deposition layer 5 can also be configured to be transferred to the exterior substrate 7a in advance, and then printed on top of that. A protective layer 3, etc., can also be provided on the printing layer 4 to protect the printing layer 4, the metal vapor deposition layer 5, etc.

[0080] A magnetic tape 10 and a concealing layer 6 that conceals it can also be placed under the metal vapor deposition layer 5. The concealing layer 6 is formed by silk screen printing or the like. At least the exterior base materials 7a and 7b are integrated by thermal lamination, and the necessary layers such as the metal vapor deposition layer 5, the printing layer 4, and the protective layer 3 are formed. After that, the card body is obtained by punching into individual card pieces by a punching process.

[0081] (Fourth embodiment) A plastic card and its manufacturing method according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The fourth embodiment is a dual-interface IC card that combines the card of the first embodiment with both contact and contactless communication functions.

[0082] 7 is a plan view of a dual interface IC card, which is a plastic card, according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The positional relationship between the card 1 and the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is the same as in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1. That is, the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is positioned so that it does not reach the edge of the card 1. In other words, the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is positioned so that its edge is located inside the card 1 by a predetermined length a or more from the edge of the card 1.

[0083] In the fourth embodiment, a dual interface IC module 15 is disposed on the card 1. A notch or hole is provided in a portion of the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder so as not to overlap with the dual interface IC module 15 in a plan view of the card 1. In the example of FIG. 7, the dual interface IC module 15 has external terminals defined in JIS X 6320-2:2009. That is, the dual interface IC module 15 is disposed in the upper left portion of the card 1, and a notch is provided in the upper left portion of the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder so as not to overlap with the dual interface IC module 15 in a plan view of the card 1. Furthermore, an antenna circuit 14 for contactless communication is disposed between the end of the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder and the end of the card 1.

[0084] By adopting this arrangement, a dual interface IC module and antenna that combine contact and contactless communication functions and have external terminals specified in JIS X 6320-2:2009 can be easily mounted on the plastic card 1 of the first embodiment. This makes it possible to obtain a dual interface IC card that combines contact and contactless communication functions while having the same weight as a metal card.

[0085] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a dual interface IC card, which is a plastic card, according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Note that Fig. 8 omits the protective layer 3, printed layer 4, metal vapor deposition layer 5, etc. on the front and back surfaces of the card. As in Fig. 2, the protective layer 3, printed layer 4, metal vapor deposition layer 5, etc. may be present on the front and back surfaces of the card.

[0086] 8, card 1 has a multilayer structure consisting of, from the surface, exterior substrate 7a (front side), intermediate substrate 8a (front side), core substrate 9a (front side), core substrate 9b (rear side), intermediate substrate 8b (rear side), and exterior substrate 7b (rear side). The core substrate is made up of two layers, 9a and 9b.

[0087] The elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is embedded in the layers of core substrates 9a and 9b in the center of the card 1. The elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is arranged so that the end of the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is located inside the card 1 by a predetermined length a or more from the end of the card 1.

[0088] In addition, in a portion of the area of ​​card 1 where elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is not arranged, a recess is provided from the card surface to the core substrate, and a dual interface IC module 15 is fitted into this recess. Furthermore, an antenna circuit 14 for contactless communication is arranged between two-layer core substrates 9a and 9b.

[0089] Dual interface IC module 15 includes external connection terminals 21, a glass epoxy substrate 22, and an antenna connection terminal 23. External connection terminal 21 and antenna connection terminal 23 are made of copper and plated. Antenna connection terminal 23 and antenna circuit 14 are connected with conductive adhesive 12. Dual interface IC module 15 is also sealed to core substrates 9a and 9b with IC chip sealing resin 24.

[0090] Next, a method for manufacturing a plastic card according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, an elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is prepared. A common material can be used for the material of the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder; for example, tungsten powder with an average particle size of 1 to 20 μm is dispersed in a mixed resin consisting of an ethyl acrylate polymer and an ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer, and the resulting mixture is extruded to form a sheet. The thickness of the sheet is approximately 0.05 to 0.6 mm.

[0091] Although other metal powder materials such as iron, stainless steel, copper, nickel, tin, and zinc can be used, tungsten is preferred because it has a high specific gravity and is less expensive than precious metals such as gold and has low toxicity to the human body, making it ideal for use as a sheet with a specific gravity of around 7 to 10.

[0092] The elastic sheet 2 is punched to a size that fits into the card 1 and does not reach the edge of the card 1. A notch or hole is provided in the elastic sheet 2 at an arbitrary position where the dual interface IC module 15 is to be mounted.

[0093] The core substrate is composed of two layers, and holes the same size as the elastic sheet 2 are formed in the plastic sheets that make up the core substrates 9a and 9b to place the elastic sheets within the card's core substrates 9a and 9b. Core substrates 9a and 9b are made of common card substrate materials such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene terephthalate copolymer (PET-G). It is desirable that the thickness of the core substrates 9a and 9b be the same as that of the elastic sheet 2 when the two layers are combined. This prevents appearance defects such as marks from the elastic sheet 2 itself during thermal lamination, or blemishes caused by gaps between the laminated sheets due to differences in thickness between the elastic sheet 2 and the core substrates 9a and 9b.

[0094] One of the core substrates, 9a, has a dual interface IC module 15 disposed thereon for performing contact and contactless communication functions. Furthermore, an antenna circuit 14 for performing contactless communication functions is disposed between the two-layer core substrates, 9a and 9b. The antenna circuit 14 is formed on one of the core substrates, 9b, using a copper or other wire with a diameter of 50 to 150 μm. The land formed at the end of the wire for connection to the antenna connection terminal 23 of the dual interface IC module 15 is formed by zigzag-arranging the wire at the antenna end in the case of a wire-based antenna, or by connecting copper foil to the antenna end using a processing method such as thermocompression bonding (TC bonding) or welding.

[0095] Two-layer core substrates 9a and 9b are stacked with the antenna circuit 14 positioned on the inside, and elastic sheets 2 are inserted into holes drilled in both core substrates 9a and 9b, with the front and back sandwiched between plastic sheets that form intermediate substrates 8a and 8b. Materials commonly used for card substrates, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene terephthalate copolymer (PET-G), are used for intermediate substrates 8a and 8b. Thermal lamination can also be performed once the intermediate substrates 8a and 8b are laminated. The core substrates 9a and 9b and the intermediate substrates 8a and 8b can be fused together using the heat of thermal lamination, or they can be bonded by using an adhesive layer between the core substrates 9a and 9b and the intermediate substrates 8a and 8b.

[0096] After the core substrates 9a and 9b are sandwiched between intermediate substrates 8a and 8b, the front and back of these are further sandwiched between exterior substrates 7a and 7b. Materials commonly used for exterior card substrates, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate copolymer (PET-G), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), are used for the exterior substrates 7a and 7b. Thermal lamination can also be performed once the exterior substrates 7a and 7b are laminated. The intermediate substrates 8a and 8b and the exterior substrates 7a and 7b can be fused together by the heat of thermal lamination, or an adhesive layer can be placed between the intermediate substrates 8a and 8b and the exterior substrates 7a and 7b.

[0097] Next, the metal vapor deposition layer 5 is transferred to any surface of the card (all or part of the exterior, including the front, back, and sides of the card) using a known method such as thermal lamination. Furthermore, a printing layer 4, which comprises images, letters, etc., is formed on the transferred metal vapor deposition layer 5 using a printing method such as general offset printing or silk screen printing. The metal vapor deposition layer 5 can also be configured to be transferred to the exterior substrate 7a in advance, and then printed on top of that. A protective layer 3, etc., can also be provided on the printing layer 4 to protect the printing layer 4, the metal vapor deposition layer 5, etc.

[0098] A magnetic tape 10 and a concealing layer 6 that conceals it can also be placed under the metal vapor deposition layer 5. The concealing layer 6 is formed by silk screen printing or the like. At least the exterior base materials 7a and 7b are integrated by thermal lamination, and the necessary layers such as the metal vapor deposition layer 5, the printing layer 4, and the protective layer 3 are formed, and then the card body is formed by punching out the individual card pieces by a punching process.

[0099] A recess (cavity) for embedding dual interface IC module 15 in the card body is formed by milling. At the same time, a land portion for connecting to antenna connection terminal 23 on the dual interface IC module side is also milled out. Because a notch or hole is provided in the upper left of elastic sheet 2, milling can be easily performed using equipment for manufacturing plastic contact IC cards.

[0100] A dual interface IC module 15 having a contact type communication function is fitted into the recess, heat and pressure are applied to the surface of the dual interface IC module 15, and the dual interface IC module 15 is attached to the recess (cavity) of the card body using an adhesive such as a hot melt sheet, and at the same time, the antenna connection terminal 23 of the dual interface IC module 15 and the antenna circuit 14 are connected with solder, conductive adhesive 12, or the like, thereby obtaining a dual interface IC card.

[0101] The dual interface IC module is equipped with an IC chip that has both contact and contactless communication functions, and has an external connection terminal 21 used for contact communication and an antenna connection terminal 23 on the opposite side used for contactless communication and for connecting to antenna circuit 14. External connection terminal 21 and antenna connection terminal 23 are formed by laminating a 10-50 μm thick copper foil on one side of an insulating base material such as glass epoxy or PET with a thickness of 50-200 μm, and then separating it into multiple copper foil patterns by etching. The exposed portions of the copper foil pattern are plated with 0.5-3 μm of nickel, and then plated with 0.01-0.3 μm of gold. However, the plating configuration is not limited to this.

[0102] The IC chip is bonded to glass epoxy or PET with a die-attach adhesive, and is wire-bonded with φ10-40 μm gold or copper wire directly to external connection terminal 21 and antenna connection terminal 23 or to a pattern connected to them, and is then sealed with epoxy resin to protect the IC chip. In this way, a dual-interface IC card, a plastic card according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, can be manufactured, which has the same weight as a metal card but combines contact and contactless communication functions.

[0103] Furthermore, the dual-interface IC card described above may have a layer formed of metal or a material containing metal in its composition and having a metallic appearance at a position visible from the surface of the card in the thickness direction or side direction. Here, the surface of the card includes all or part of the exterior, including the front, back, and side surfaces of the card. This layer may be formed by foil, vapor deposition, sputtering, or the like. This provides a dual-interface IC card with a weighty feel similar to that of a metal card and a premium card surface texture similar to that of a metal card.

[0104] (Fifth embodiment) Next, a plastic card according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the fifth embodiment, in the plastic cards according to the first to fourth embodiments described above, the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder arranged inside the card is not arranged in the lower half of the card.

[0105] 9A and 9B are plan views of a plastic card according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, in which Fig. 9A shows an example of a card without an IC module, and Fig. 9B shows an example of a contact IC card with a contact IC module 11.

[0106] As in the first to fourth embodiments, the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is arranged so as not to reach the edge of the card 1. In the fifth embodiment, the elastic sheet 2 filled with metal powder is further arranged so as not to be positioned in the lower half of the card.

[0107] The lower half of the card, where the metal powder-filled elastic sheet 2 is not located, has embossed areas 16 and 17. This allows the card to be embossed in accordance with JIS X 6302-1:2005 (ISO / IEC 7811-1:2002). This allows for a card that has the same weight as a metal card, but allows for information recording by embossing, which is not possible with metal cards.

[0108] (Example) 98% by weight of tungsten powder with an average particle size of 5 μm was dispersed in 2% by weight of a mixed resin consisting of an ethyl acrylate polymer and an ethylene methyl acrylate copolymer, and extrusion processing was used to obtain an elastic sheet member filled with metal powder to a thickness of 600 μm. This sheet has a specific gravity of 8 and is flexible and bendable.

[0109] The elastic sheet member was punched to a size of 80 mm x 50 mm that would fit into a card. In order to place the molded elastic sheet 2 inside the core substrate 9 of the card, a hole of the same size as the elastic sheet 2, 80 mm x 50 mm, was formed in the PVC sheet that would become the core substrate 9.

[0110] The elastic sheet 2 was fitted into the hole in the core substrate 9, and the front and back of the elastic sheet 2 were sandwiched between 0.05 mm thick PVC sheets serving as intermediate substrates 8, and then between 0.05 mm thick PET sheets serving as exterior substrates 7. A metal vapor deposition film 5 had been previously transferred onto the surface of this PET sheet that would become the exterior of the card. This laminate was integrated, and the card body was obtained by punching out the individual card pieces using a punching process.

[0111] The card produced in this way was as flexible and bendable as a regular plastic card. It weighed 15g, which was heavier than a regular plastic card, which weighs about 5g. A metal vapor deposition layer was also applied to the surface, giving it the appearance of a metal card.

[0112] When the card was subjected to a [JIS X 6301 2005 8.1 static bending strength] test, it was confirmed that the deformation caused by the load was 20 mm, and that after the load was removed, it returned to its original flat state within 1.5 mm within one minute.

[0113] A card with the same card structure as above, but made of a 0.6 mm thick tungsten plate instead of an elastic sheet filled with metal powder, did not bend, so it could not be removed from a card stocker in which cards are stored in stacks and removed from the bottom of the stack.However, a card made of an elastic sheet bent, so it could be removed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0114] 1. Card 2... Elastic sheet filled with metal powder 3… Protective layer 4…Printing layer 5…Metal deposition layer 6... Hidden layer 7a, 7b... Exterior base material 8a, 8b... Intermediate base material 9, 9a, 9b... Core substrate 10... Magnetic tape 11... Contact IC module 12...Conductive adhesive 13...Contactless IC module 14... Antenna circuit 15... Dual interface IC module 16, 17...Embossed area 21... External connection terminal 22... Glass epoxy substrate 23... Antenna connection terminal 24... IC chip sealing resin

Claims

1. A plastic card, wherein an elastic sheet filled with metal powder is disposed inside the card, the elastic sheet filled with the metal powder is arranged so that an end of the elastic sheet filled with the metal powder is located inside the card by a predetermined length or more from an end of the card; a contact IC module having an external terminal; A plastic card characterized in that the elastic sheet filled with metal powder has a notch or a hole and is arranged so as not to overlap the contact IC module in a plan view.

2. A plastic card, wherein an elastic sheet filled with metal powder is disposed inside the card, the elastic sheet filled with the metal powder is arranged so that an end of the elastic sheet filled with the metal powder is located inside the card by a predetermined length or more from an end of the card; Further comprising a contactless IC module for performing contactless communication; the elastic sheet filled with the metal powder has a notch or a hole, and is arranged so as not to overlap the non-contact IC module in a plan view; A plastic card characterized in that an antenna for performing the contactless communication is disposed between the end of the elastic sheet filled with the metal powder and the end of the card.

3. A plastic card, wherein an elastic sheet filled with metal powder is disposed inside the card, the elastic sheet filled with the metal powder is arranged so that an end of the elastic sheet filled with the metal powder is located inside the card by a predetermined length or more from an end of the card; a dual interface IC module having an external terminal and performing contact communication and contactless communication; the metal powder-filled elastic sheet has a notch or a hole, and is arranged so as not to overlap the dual interface IC module in a plan view; A plastic card characterized in that an antenna for performing the contactless communication is disposed between the end of the elastic sheet filled with the metal powder and the end of the card.

4. 4. The plastic card according to claim 1, wherein the elastic sheet filled with metal powder disposed inside the plastic card is not disposed in the lower half of the card.

5. A plastic card, wherein an elastic sheet filled with metal powder is disposed inside the card, the elastic sheet filled with the metal powder is arranged so that an end of the elastic sheet filled with the metal powder is located inside the card by a predetermined length or more from an end of the card; A plastic card characterized in that the elastic sheet filled with metal powder disposed inside the plastic card is not disposed in the lower half of the card.

6. A plastic card described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a layer formed of metal or a material containing metal is disposed on the outside of the plastic outer substrate covering the elastic sheet.

Images