IC card

Abstract

To provide an IC card which is not only environmentally friendly but also prevented from cracks of a card substrate and has improved adequacy of quality and has high durability.SOLUTION: An IC card according to the present invention comprises: a card body 2 in which a fitting hole 6 with a first recess 61 and a second recess 62 is formed and which includes a second antenna sheet 31, a first antenna sheet 33 having a first peripheral edge 61p on which a first bottom and a first side face of the first recess 61 cross each other, a conductive antenna coil 32, and a second sheet 42 which is laminated on the second antenna sheet 31 and has a second peripheral edge 62p on which a second bottom and a second side face of the second recess 62 cross each other; and an IC module 7 which is fitted into the fitting hole 6 of the card body 2 and includes a substrate 71, a contact terminal 74, and an IC chip 72. The first antenna sheet 33 or the second sheet 42 has higher impact resistance than the antenna sheet 31.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present invention relates to an IC card. [[Background Art]]

[0002] Conventionally, plastic cards such as contact IC cards, hybrid IC cards, and dual IC cards including an IC module with an IC chip having a contact communication function and a non-contact communication function have been known. These cards are molded by milling (counterboring) the card body and fitting the IC module into the recess (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In recent years, environmental awareness has increased, and efforts have been made to use resources in a sustainable manner by achieving both the reduction of the amount of resources and waste used in products and services, the expansion of added value, and the sustainable use of resources. For plastic cards, in order to reduce plastic consumption and CO2 emissions, there is a need to provide cards using recycled materials. For example, Patent Document 2 describes a plastic card using recycled resin. [[Prior Art Documents]] [[Patent Documents]]

[0004] [[Patent Document 1]] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-282660 [[Patent Document 2]] Japanese National Publication of International Patent Application No. 2018-502736 [[Summary of the Invention]] [[Problem to be Solved by the Invention]]

[0005] However, the IC card described in Patent Document 1 is prone to cracking near the periphery (corner) where the side and bottom meet in the recessed area when subjected to stress such as tension or bending, which may cause the card's base material to crack. Therefore, it was necessary to consider preventing cracking during the manufacturing of the IC card. In particular, when recycled resin is used as the material, as in the plastic card described in Patent Document 2, the card tends to be more brittle compared to conventional plastic cards that do not use recycled materials, making it difficult to ensure the same quality as conventional cards.

[0006] This invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide a highly durable IC card that prevents cracking of the card's base material and improves quality, while being environmentally conscious. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, this invention proposes the following means. An IC card according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a card body having a fitting hole formed therein, having a first recess on its surface having a first bottom and a first side, and a second recess having a narrower opening width than the first recess at the first bottom and communicating with the first recess, and having a second bottom and a second side, and having a first peripheral edge where the first bottom and the first side of the first recess intersect; an insulating second antenna sheet laminated on the back side of the first antenna sheet; a conductive antenna coil enclosed between the first antenna sheet and the second antenna sheet; and an insulating second sheet laminated on the back side of the second antenna sheet and having a second peripheral edge where the second bottom and the second side of the second recess intersect; and an IC module having a substrate formed in the shape of a sheet and fitted into the fitting hole of the card body; contact terminals arranged on the surface of the substrate; and an IC chip arranged on the back side of the substrate, wherein the first antenna sheet or the second sheet has higher impact resistance than the second antenna sheet. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The IC card according to the present invention prevents cracking of the card's base material, which is environmentally friendly, and provides a highly durable IC card with improved quality. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic plan view showing an IC card according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the IC card along section AA in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a plan view from above of the antenna core sheet attached to the antenna sheet of the IC card before the mating holes are formed on the IC card. [Figure 4] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the IC card body, viewed from the short side direction, before the fitting holes are formed on the IC card along the AA cross-section in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the IC card body, viewed from the short side direction, before the IC module is fitted into the IC card, with a fitting hole formed along the AA cross-section of the IC card. [Figure 6] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of an IC card according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of an IC card according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure illustrates another variation of the IC card of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] (First Embodiment) One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. In the embodiments and modifications described below, corresponding components will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions of overlapping parts may be omitted. Furthermore, in the following description, expressions indicating relative or absolute arrangements such as "parallel," "orthogonal," "center," and "coaxial" will not only strictly represent such arrangements, but will also represent states of relative displacement with tolerances or angles and distances that allow the same function to be obtained.

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view showing an IC card 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the IC card 1 along section AA in Figure 1.

[0012] In the following description of IC card 1, the direction along the long side of IC card 1 is defined as the long side direction D1, and the direction along the short side of IC card 1 that is perpendicular to the long side direction D1 on the horizontal plane is defined as the short side direction D2. The planes along the long side direction D1 and the short side direction D2 are defined as horizontal planes (hereinafter simply referred to as horizontal planes). The vertical direction perpendicular to the long side direction D1 and the short side direction D2 is defined as the thickness direction Dt. Furthermore, in the thickness direction Dt of IC card 1, the front surface 1f side of IC card 1 is defined as the upper side UP, and the back surface 1g side is defined as the lower side DW.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, IC card 1 is a dual IC card that enables both contact-type and contactless communication with external devices, for example. IC card 1 is a plate-like shape that lies along a horizontal plane, and is formed in a rectangular shape with opposing long and short sides when viewed from the upper side (UP) in the thickness direction Dt. The thickness of IC card 1 in the thickness direction Dt is formed to be, for example, about 0.5 to 1.0 mm (if IC card 1 is a credit card, the thickness of IC card 1 is 0.76 mm).

[0014] The IC card 1 comprises a card body 2 and an IC module 7.

[0015] [Card body 2] The card body 2 is a portion forming the outer shape of the IC card 1, as shown in FIG. 1. The card body 2 is in a plate shape along a horizontal plane, and is formed into a rectangular shape having long sides and short sides opposing each other when viewed from the upper UP side in the plate thickness direction Dt.

[0016] The card body 2 is formed such that the thickness in the plate thickness direction Dt is, for example, about 0.68 to 0.84 mm, and then subjected to lamination processing. The laminated card body 2 is milled (cut) from the upper UP side. Thus, a fitting hole (recess) 6 is formed. A detailed description of the fitting hole 6 will be given later. As shown in FIG. 2, the card body 2 includes an antenna sheet 3, an intermediate sheet 4, and an exterior base material (exterior sheet) 5.

[0017] [Antenna Sheet 3] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the antenna sheet 3 is provided between a front intermediate sheet 41 and a back intermediate sheet 42 included in the intermediate sheet 4. The antenna sheet 3 includes a core sheet (second antenna sheet) 31, an antenna core sheet (first antenna sheet) 33, and an antenna coil (wound antenna) 32.

[0018] [Core Sheet (Second Antenna Sheet) 31] As shown in FIG. 2, the core sheet (second antenna sheet) 31 is a flexible insulating substrate laminated on the back surface 33g of the antenna core sheet (first antenna sheet) 33 and the surface that is the upper UP side of the back intermediate sheet 42 of the intermediate sheet 4. The core sheet 31 is formed into a rectangular shape having long sides and short sides opposing each other when viewed from the upper UP side in the plate thickness direction Dt. The thickness of the core sheet 31 in the plate thickness direction Dt is set to, for example, a thickness in a range of 0.015 mm to 0.05 mm.

[0019] In this embodiment, the core sheet 31 is formed using recycled PETG resin material. Recycled PETG resin refers to a polyester resin containing 5 mol% or more of 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol component per 100 mol% of polyhydric alcohol component, and comprising 50% or more by mass of recycled material.

[0020] However, the material of the core sheet 31 is not particularly limited, and an insulating substrate such as polyester resins such as polycyclohexanedimethylene terephthalate, polyethylene terephthalate copolymer (PET-G), polybutylene terephthalate material, polyethylene terephthalate / isophthalate copolymer, polyolefin resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polymethylpentene, polyfluoroethylene resins such as polyvinyl fluoride, polyvinylidene fluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene, ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer, polyamide resins such as nylon-6, nylon 6, 6, vinyl resins such as polyvinyl chloride, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, polyvinyl alcohol, vinylon, cellulose resins such as cellulose triacetate, cellophane, acrylic resins such as polymethyl methacrylate, polyethyl methacrylate, polyethyl acrylate, polybutyl acrylate, polystyrene resin, polycarbonate, polyimide resin can be appropriately selected. It is preferable that the core sheet 31 uses recycled resin with a recycled material content of 50% by mass or more. Furthermore, the color and transmittance of the core sheet 31 are not particularly limited, and can be selected to suit the intended purpose of the card.

[0021] The core sheet 31 has through holes in part through fitting holes 6 formed in the card body 2.

[0022] [Antenna core sheet (First Antenna Sheet) 33] As shown in Figure 2, the antenna core sheet (first antenna sheet) 33 is a flexible insulating substrate laminated on the upper surface 31f side of the core sheet 31. Similar to the core sheet 31, the antenna core sheet 33 is formed in a rectangular shape with opposing long and short sides when viewed from the upper side UP in the thickness direction Dt.

[0023] The antenna core sheet 33 is preferably formed using a material with higher impact resistance than the core sheet 31. In this embodiment, the antenna core sheet 33 is formed using recycled PCTG resin. Here, in the following description, the parts using recycled PCTG resin material are shown by hatching in the cross-section of the IC card 1 shown in Figures 2 to 5. Recycled PCTG resin is a polyester resin obtained by substituting a portion of ethylene glycol, a component of polyethylene terephthalate, with 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol, wherein the substitution rate of ethylene glycol with 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol is 50 mol% or more, and the recycled material accounts for 50% by mass or more. Recycled PCTG resin has higher impact resistance than recycled PETG resin. However, the material of the antenna core sheet 33 is not particularly limited, and for example, the same material as the core sheet (second antenna sheet) 31 may be used.

[0024] The core sheet 31 and the antenna core sheet 33 enclose the antenna coil (wound antenna) 32.

[0025] [Antenna coil (wound antenna) 32] Figure 3 is a plan view from above (UP) of the antenna core sheet 3 provided on the antenna sheet 3 of the IC card 1 before the fitting hole 6 is formed on the IC card 1. Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state of the card body 2 of the IC card 1, along the cross section AA of Figure 1, before the fitting hole 6 is formed on the IC card 1, as viewed from the short side direction D2. The antenna coil (wound antenna) 32 is formed, for example, on the back surface 33g, which is the lower DW of the antenna core sheet 33, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, with the insulated conductor embedded in the antenna core sheet 33 for about half or more of the thickness Dt. Note that the antenna coil 32 shown in Figure 3 is provided on the back surface 33g of the antenna core sheet 33, but is shown with a solid line for the sake of explanation. Also, as shown in Figure 3, the antenna coil 32 is formed in a rectangular shape by winding it around the periphery 33k of the antenna core sheet 33 with about one to three turns. The antenna coil 32 performs contactless communication with contactless external devices such as reader / writers. However, the antenna coil 32 only needs to be capable of contactless communication with contactless external devices, and there are no limitations on the number of turns, shape, and wire width.

[0026] The insulated conductor of the antenna coil 32 can preferably be a conductive magnet wire, for example. A magnet wire is a conductive wire made of copper, copper alloy, aluminum, etc., with its surface coated with an insulating resin layer. Suitable insulating resins include polyvinyl formal, polyurethane, polyester, polyesterimide, polyamide, and polyimide. The antenna coil 32 can be appropriately selected based on price, heat resistance, etc.

[0027] There are no particular restrictions on the manufacturing method of the antenna coil 32, and it can be formed by various methods. For example, the antenna coil 32 can be formed by winding a magnet wire with a diameter of 0.1 mm around the periphery 33k of the antenna core sheet 33, and then embedding it with a radius of 0.05 mm or more using an ultrasonic transducer. However, the manufacturing method of the antenna coil 32 is not limited to this embodiment, and examples include laser cutting or punching of metal plates or metal foils, etching of metal foils or metal layers, and arrangement of metal wires. Punching is suitable when forming a wide antenna coil 32. Connection terminals 320 are formed at both ends of the antenna coil (wound antenna) 32.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, the connection terminal 320 is formed by folding both ends of the antenna coil 32 multiple times. The number of times the connection terminal 320 is folded is not particularly limited, but in the cross-sectional views of Figures 2, 4, and 5, for the sake of explanation, the case in which both ends of the antenna coil 32 are folded about twice is illustrated. From the state in Figure 4, a part of the upper side UP of the connection terminal 320 is removed by milling, and it is electrically connected to the pad electrode 73 of the IC module 7, which will be described later, as shown in Figure 2. At this time, the connection terminal 320 is positioned on both sides of the second housing portion 62 in the long side direction, so as to sandwich the second housing portion (second recess) 62 of the fitting hole 6 when viewed from the plate thickness direction Dt.

[0029] [Intermediate Sheet 4] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the intermediate sheet 4 is a substrate laminated on both sides of the antenna sheet 3. The intermediate sheet 4 comprises a front-side intermediate sheet 41 and a back-side intermediate sheet 42.

[0030] [Front-side intermediate sheet 41] The front intermediate sheet 41 is provided on the upper side UP of the core sheet 31 and the antenna core sheet 33, and is an insulating sheet-like substrate laminated on the surface of the antenna core sheet 33. The front intermediate sheet 41 is formed in a rectangular shape with opposing long and short sides when viewed from the upper side UP in the thickness direction Dt. In this embodiment, the front intermediate sheet 41 is formed using recycled PETG resin, similar to the core sheet 31. However, the resin material used for the front intermediate sheet 41 is not particularly limited.

[0031] [Rear-side intermediate sheet (second sheet) 42] The back-side intermediate sheet (second sheet) 42 is an insulating sheet-like base material provided on the lower side (back side) DW of the core sheet 31. Similar to the front-side intermediate sheet 41, the back-side intermediate sheet 42 is formed in a rectangular shape with opposing long and short sides when viewed from the upper side UP in the thickness direction Dt. In this embodiment, the back-side intermediate sheet 42 is formed using recycled PCTG resin, similar to the antenna core sheet 33. That is, the back-side intermediate sheet 42 has higher impact resistance than the core sheet 31, which is made of recycled PETG resin. However, the resin material used for the back-side intermediate sheet 42 is not particularly limited.

[0032] The thickness Dt in the thickness direction of the front and back intermediate sheets 41 and 42 of the intermediate sheet 4 can be appropriately selected within a range that does not exceed the card thickness limit. The thickness Dt in the thickness direction of the front and back intermediate sheets 41 and 42 is set in the range of, for example, 0.05 mm to 0.20 mm. In particular, a thickness of around 0.15 mm is preferred for the thickness Dt in the thickness direction of the front and back intermediate sheets 41 and 42. Since the front and back intermediate sheets 41 and 42 of the intermediate sheet 4 may be printed according to the specifications of the IC card 1, it is desirable that they have printability to printing inks.

[0033] [Exterior substrate (exterior sheet) 5] As shown in Figure 2, the outer substrate (outer sheet) 5 is a substrate laminated on the front and back surfaces of the antenna sheet 3 and the intermediate sheet 4. The outer substrate 5 is also called an oversheet. The outer substrate 5 has a front outer substrate 51 on the front surface 1f of the IC card 1 and a back outer substrate 52 on the back surface 1g of the IC card 1. The outer substrate 5 is formed using, for example, a plastic resin material. However, the material of the outer substrate 5 is not particularly limited, and for example, recycled resin materials similar to those used for the antenna sheet 3 and the intermediate sheet 4 can be used. The outer substrate 5 may also be formed using a metal sheet or a magnetic material (magnetic tape). Furthermore, the outer substrate 5 may be molded into a card shape using a plastic resin material with high fluidity and insulating properties, such as a UV-curing type or a mixed-liquid reaction-curing type. The outer substrate 5 may be a single layer or formed in multiple layers. The outer substrate 5 may also have a magnetic layer, a protective layer, etc., or may have a functional surface coating such as thermal, thermal transfer, or inkjet.

[0034] The thickness in the thickness direction Dt of the front outer substrate 51 and the back outer substrate 52 of the outer substrate 5 can be appropriately selected within a range that does not exceed the thickness limit of the IC card 1. For example, the thickness in the thickness direction Dt of the front outer substrate 51 and the back outer substrate 52 is set to a thickness in the range of 0.05 mm to 0.20 mm. In particular, a thickness of around 0.05 mm is preferred for the thickness in the thickness direction Dt of the front outer substrate 51 and the back outer substrate 52.

[0035] [Matching hole (recess) 6] Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the IC card body 2 of the IC card 1 as viewed from the short side direction D2, before the fitting hole 6 is formed in the IC card 1 along the cross-section AA of Figure 1 and the IC module 7 is fitted into it. The fitting hole (recess) 6 is a hole formed in the card body 2 by milling (cutting), as shown in Figure 5. The fitting hole 6 has an opening 6h on the upper surface 2f of the card body 2. The fitting hole 6 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the upper side UP in the thickness direction Dt, for example. As shown in Figure 2, the fitting hole 6 is provided in the card body 2 to accommodate the IC module 7 when the IC module 7 is joined to the card body 2, so that no irregularities appear on the surface 1f of the IC card 1. The fitting hole 6 comprises a first accommodating portion (first recess) 61 and a second accommodating portion (second recess) 62.

[0036] The first housing portion (first recess) 61 has an opening on the surface 2f of the card body 2. The opening of the first housing portion 61 is the opening 6h provided by the fitting hole 6. In this embodiment, the first housing portion 61 corresponds to the size of the module substrate 71 of the IC module 7. Furthermore, it is preferable to set the thickness Dt of the first housing portion 61 considering the thickness of the module substrate 71 and contact terminals 74 of the IC module 7.

[0037] As shown in Figure 5, the first housing section 61 penetrates the front outer substrate 51 formed on the surface 1f of the card body 2 and the front intermediate sheet 41 of the intermediate sheet 4 in the thickness direction Dt, and comprises a first inner surface (first side surface) 61b and a first bottom 61a. The first housing section 61 does not penetrate the antenna core sheet 33 of the antenna sheet 3 which is laminated on the lower side DW of the front intermediate sheet 41, and forms the first bottom 61a. In this embodiment, the first bottom 61a is formed to be substantially parallel to the antenna core sheet 33.

[0038] In this configuration, as shown in Figure 5, the antenna core sheet 33 has the first bottom portion 61a of the first housing portion 61 inside, and further has a first bottom peripheral portion (first peripheral portion) 61p where the first inner surface portion 61b and the first bottom portion 61a of the first housing portion 61 intersect. Also, as shown in Figure 5, the connection terminal 320 of the antenna coil 32 which was enclosed in the antenna core sheet 33 has a portion of its upper side UP removed by milling to form a connection surface 320a. Note that the first inner surface portion 61b of the first housing portion 61 may have an inclined shape or a flat shape.

[0039] Here, the insulating resin layer covering the surface of the connection terminal 320 is removed by milling. The exposed area of ​​the connection surface 320a formed on the connection terminal 320 is maximized when the milling is performed up to the radius of the antenna coil 32. Therefore, it is preferable that the exposed area of ​​the connection surface 320a of the connection terminal 320 is milled up to the radius. Note that a portion of the first bottom peripheral edge 61p of the first housing portion 61 may be formed on the connection terminal 320.

[0040] As shown in Figure 5, the second housing section (second recess) 62 communicates with the first housing section 61 at the first bottom 61a of the first housing section 61 and is a recess with a narrower opening width in the long side direction D1 and the short side direction D2 than the first housing section 61. In this embodiment, the second housing section 62 corresponds to the size of the resin sealing section 76.

[0041] As shown in Figure 5, the second housing portion 62 penetrates the core sheet 31 and antenna core sheet 33 of the antenna sheet 3 in the thickness direction Dt and comprises a second inner surface (second side surface) 62b and a second bottom portion (second peripheral edge) 62a. The second housing portion 62 is positioned between the connection terminals 320 formed at both ends of the antenna coil 32. Furthermore, the second housing portion 62 does not penetrate the back intermediate sheet 42 provided on the lower side DW of the core sheet 31, but forms the second bottom portion 62a. In this embodiment, the second bottom portion 62a is formed to be substantially parallel to the back intermediate sheet 42.

[0042] With this configuration, the back intermediate sheet 42, as shown in Figure 2 or Figure 5, has the second bottom portion 62a of the second storage portion 62 inside, and further has a second bottom peripheral edge portion 62p where the second inner surface portion 62b and the second bottom portion 62a of the second storage portion 62 intersect. The second inner surface portion 62b of the second storage portion 62 may have an inclined shape or a non-inclined shape.

[0043] [IC Module 7] As shown in Figure 2, the IC module 7 comprises a module substrate (substrate) 71, an IC chip 72, pad electrodes (electrodes) 73, contact terminals 74, wires 75, and a resin encapsulation portion 76. The external dimensions of the IC module 7 are approximately 8 mm × 10.6 mm in the horizontal plane, for example, if the contact terminals 74 consist of 6 terminals.

[0044] The module substrate (substrate) 71 is a sheet-like substrate formed on a horizontal surface using a material such as glass epoxy or PET. The module substrate 71 has a surface 71f and a back surface 71g in the thickness direction Dt, and is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the thickness direction Dt. The thickness of the module substrate 71 is, for example, 50 to 200 μm. The module substrate 71 is provided with through holes 71a.

[0045] As shown in Figure 2, the through-hole 71a is a hole that penetrates the module substrate 71 in the thickness direction Dt. The through-hole 71a is provided around the IC chip 72. The through-hole 71a is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, for example, such that its cross-section is substantially circular when viewed from the thickness direction Dt. As shown in Figure 2, the wire 75 described later is inserted through the through-hole 71a. The number of through-holes 71a is not particularly limited; there may be only one or multiple. In this embodiment, the number of through-holes 71a is formed to match the number of electrodes of the IC chip 72 that are connected to the contact terminals 74 via the wire 75. The arrangement, shape, and size of the through-holes 71a are not particularly limited. The through-holes 71a may also be metal-plated through-holes, etc.

[0046] The IC chip 72 is mounted on the back surface 71g of the module substrate 71. The IC chip 72 can be of a known configuration having contact-type communication function and contactless communication function. The IC chip 72 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the thickness direction Dt. The mounting form of the IC chip 72 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, for example, it is mounted on the IC module substrate 71 in a COT (Chip On Tape) form mounted on a carrier tape. The IC chip 72 has electrodes (not shown) on the lower surface DW.

[0047] The pad electrodes (electrodes) 73 are provided on the back surface 71g of the module substrate 71. The pad electrodes 73 are arranged around the IC chip 72 located in the center of the module substrate 71. As shown in Figure 2, when the IC module 7 is fitted into the fitting hole 6 of the card body 2, the pad electrodes 73 are positioned on the upper side UP of the connection surface 320a of the connection terminal 320 provided on the antenna coil 32 of the card body 2.

[0048] The pad electrode 73 is electrically connected to the electrode of the IC chip 72 via a wire 75. Alternatively, the pad electrode 73 can be connected to the connection surface 320a of the connection terminal 320 on the card body 2 via soldering, conductive ink, conductive adhesive, or anisotropic conductive film (ACF). This configuration electrically connects the antenna coil 32 of the card body 2 to the IC chip 72 of the IC module 7. However, the method of electrical connection between the antenna coil 32 of the card body 2 and the IC chip 72 of the IC module 7 is not limited to this embodiment.

[0049] The contact terminal 74 is configured to be able to contact an external contact device (not shown). The contact terminal 74 is formed on the surface 71f of the module substrate 71, as shown in Figure 2. The contact terminal 74 has electrodes (not shown) on its back surface. The contact terminal 74 is electrically connected to the electrodes of the IC chip 72 via a wire 75.

[0050] The wire 75 is inserted through the through hole 71a. As shown in Figure 2, the wire 75 connects the electrodes of the IC chip 72 on the back surface 71g of the module substrate 71 to the electrodes and pad electrodes 73 provided on the contact terminals 74 on the front surface 71f by wire bonding or the like. The IC chip 72, contact terminals 74, and pad electrodes 73 are electrically connected via the wire 75. A gold wire is preferred for the wire 75. However, the wire 75 may be made of silver, platinum, aluminum, copper, alloy, or coated wire made of dissimilar metals.

[0051] The resin encapsulation portion 76 is a protruding portion that covers the IC chip 72 and the wire 75. As shown in Figure 2, the resin encapsulation portion 76 is provided on the back surface 71g of the module substrate 71. The resin encapsulation portion 76 can be formed from, for example, a known epoxy resin, an ultraviolet curable resin, or a thermosetting resin. The resin encapsulation portion 76 can protect the IC chip 72 from external forces and environmental loads, and prevent breakage of the wire 75, etc. Generally, the resin encapsulation portion 76 is positioned with its center aligned with the IC chip 72.

[0052] The IC card 1 is formed, for example, by sandwiching a card body 2, which has a fitting hole 6 formed by milling, and an IC module 7 fitted into the fitting hole 6, between them using heat-pressure lamination or adhesive, and then punching it out into the shape of a card. The formed IC card 1 may be further embossed or otherwise processed.

[0053] (action) Next, we will explain the function of IC card 1.

[0054] The card body 2 of the IC card 1 is provided with a fitting hole 6, as shown in Figure 2. When the IC card 1 is subjected to external forces such as tension or bending, stress concentrates in the milled fitting hole 6 in the card body 2. In particular, cracks are likely to occur due to stress concentration at the first bottom peripheral edge 61p of the first housing portion (first recess) 61, which is the corner of the recess, and at the second bottom peripheral edge 62p of the second housing portion (second recess) 62.

[0055] In the card body 2, the antenna core sheet 33, which has the first bottom peripheral edge 61p of the first housing section 61 inside, and the back intermediate sheet 42, which has the second bottom peripheral edge 62p of the second housing section 62 inside, are formed using recycled PCTG resin. Recycled PCTG resin has higher impact resistance than recycled PETG resin used in the core sheet 31. Therefore, with the configuration of the IC card 1, the risk of the IC card 1 cracking due to crack formation in the first bottom peripheral edge 61p and the second bottom peripheral edge 62p can be eliminated. In addition, even if the first bottom peripheral edge 61p is formed on, for example, the connection terminal 320 of the antenna coil 32, the risk of disconnection of the connection terminal 320 due to stress concentration can be reduced.

[0056] In this embodiment, the card body 2 of the IC card 1 is formed using recycled resin material in the core sheet 31 and antenna core sheet 33 of the antenna sheet 3, and in the intermediate sheet 4. Therefore, the IC card 1 can reduce the amount of plastic used and CO2 emissions compared to conventional plastic cards.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, recycled PCTG resin is used only for the antenna core sheet 33, which has the first bottom peripheral edge 61p of the first housing section 61 of the card body 2, and for the back intermediate sheet 42, which has the second bottom peripheral edge 62p of the second housing section 62. Therefore, according to the IC card 1 of this embodiment, the use of recycled PCTG resin, which is one of the more expensive plastic resins, is limited to specific areas, eliminating the risk of the IC card 1 cracking due to crack formation in the first bottom peripheral edge 61p and the second bottom peripheral edge 62p, while also reducing the manufacturing cost of the IC card 1.

[0058] Although the first embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes and the like are also included within the scope of the gist of the present invention. Furthermore, the components shown in the above embodiment and the modifications shown below can be combined as appropriate.

[0059] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 6. In the following description, components that are common to those already described will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted. Note that the card body of each of the following embodiments differs from that of the first embodiment. Therefore, the following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0060] Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the IC card 1A according to the second embodiment. IC card 1A is an example of a contact IC card, for example, which includes an IC module 7A with contact terminals 74 that can contact external contact devices and an IC chip 72 having a contact-type communication function. The IC module 7A according to the second embodiment has the same configuration as the first embodiment, except that it does not have pad electrodes 73.

[0061] The card body 2A of IC card 1A does not have the antenna sheet 3 of the first embodiment. The card body 2A comprises an intermediate sheet 4A and an outer substrate (outer sheet) 5. The outer substrate 5 is the same as in the first embodiment, so its description is omitted.

[0062] [Intermediate Sheet 4A] As shown in Figure 6, the intermediate sheet 4A is a substrate that is laminated so as to be sandwiched between the outer substrate 5. The intermediate sheet 4A comprises a front intermediate sheet (first antenna sheet) 41A and a back intermediate sheet (second sheet) 42. The back intermediate sheet 42 is the same as in the first embodiment, so its description is omitted.

[0063] The front intermediate sheet 41A uses a different material compared to the first embodiment. The front intermediate sheet 41A is formed using recycled PCTG resin, similar to the back intermediate sheet 42. The front intermediate sheet 41A also has the first bottom portion 61a of the first housing portion 61 inside, and further has a first bottom peripheral edge portion 61p where the first inner surface portion 61b and the first bottom portion 61a of the first housing portion 61 intersect.

[0064] In the above-described embodiment, the front intermediate sheet 41A of the intermediate sheet 4A, which has the first bottom peripheral edge 61p of the first housing section 61 inside, and the back intermediate sheet 42, which has the second bottom peripheral edge 62p of the second housing section 62 inside, are formed using recycled PCTG resin. Therefore, with the configuration of the IC card 1A of this embodiment, the risk of the IC card 1A cracking due to crack formation in the first bottom peripheral edge 61p and the second bottom peripheral edge 62p can be eliminated.

[0065] Although a second embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design modifications and the like are also included within the scope of the gist of the present invention. Furthermore, the components shown in the above-described embodiment and the following modifications can be combined as appropriate.

[0066] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 7. In the following description, components that are common to those already described will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted. Note that the card body differs in all of the following embodiments compared to the first embodiment. Therefore, the following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0067] Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the IC card 1B according to the third embodiment. IC card 1B shows, for example, an example of an IC card having a contactless IC chip and a contact IC chip. The IC module 7A according to the third embodiment has the same configuration as the second embodiment, except that the IC chip 72 has only a contact-type communication function.

[0068] The card body 2B of the IC card 1B comprises an antenna sheet 3B, an intermediate sheet 4A, and an outer substrate (outer sheet) 5. The intermediate sheet 4A is the same as in the second embodiment, and the outer substrate 5 is the same as in the first embodiment, so their description is omitted.

[0069] [Antenna Sheet 3B] The IC card 1B comprises a core sheet (second antenna sheet) 31, an antenna coil (wound antenna) 32, an antenna core sheet 33B, an IC chip 34, and a surface-side core sheet 35.

[0070] The antenna coil (wound antenna) 32B is equipped with connection terminals 320B at both ends. The connection terminals 320B are electrically connected to the IC chip 34, which will be described later.

[0071] The IC chip 34 has contactless communication capabilities. The IC chip 34 is mounted on the core sheet 31 and is electrically connected to the antenna coil 32B via the connection terminal 320B.

[0072] The antenna core sheet 33B uses different materials compared to the first embodiment. Like the core sheet 31, the antenna core sheet 33B is formed using recycled PETG resin.

[0073] The surface core sheet 35 is laminated on the surface of the antenna core sheet 33B and, together with the core sheet 31, encloses the IC chip 34. The material of the surface core sheet 35 is not particularly limited, but for example, it is formed using recycled PETG resin, similar to the antenna core sheet 33B and the core sheet 31.

[0074] In the above-described embodiment, the front intermediate sheet 41A of the intermediate sheet 4A, which has the first bottom portion 61a of the first housing portion 61 inside, and the back intermediate sheet 42, which has the second bottom portion 62a of the second housing portion 62 inside, are formed using recycled PCTG resin. This eliminates the risk of the IC card 1B cracking due to the occurrence of cracks in the base material.

[0075] Although a third embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes and the like are also included within the scope of the gist of the present invention. Furthermore, the components shown in the above-described embodiment and the following modifications can be combined as appropriate.

[0076] (experiment) Next, evaluation tests were conducted to confirm the operation of the IC card 1 according to the first embodiment. This time, a bending (stress) durability test (hereinafter referred to as the bending durability test) in accordance with JIS X 6305-1 and a card wrapping test (hereinafter referred to as the CQM wrapping test) in accordance with MasterCard's CQM (Card Quality Manufacturing) requirements (TM-422 test method) were performed.

[0077] The above experiment uses two IC card samples: Example 1 and Comparative Example 1. Here, Example 1 has the same configuration as IC card 1 according to the first embodiment. In Comparative Example 1, compared to IC card 1 according to the first embodiment, recycled PCTG resin material is not used in the antenna core sheet 33 and the back intermediate sheet 42, but rather recycled PETG resin material similar to that used in the core sheet 31.

[0078] Furthermore, the evaluation criteria for the above-mentioned test is whether or not cracks are formed from the first bottom peripheral edge 61p of the first housing portion 61 and the second bottom peripheral edge 62p of the second housing portion 62 in the fitting hole 6 formed in the IC card 1. If cracks are formed from the first bottom peripheral edge 61p and the second bottom peripheral edge 62p, the IC card 1 is considered defective. If no cracks are formed from the first bottom peripheral edge 61p and the second bottom peripheral edge 62p, the IC card 1 is considered good.

[0079] First, a bending durability test was conducted. For this test, 1000 samples each of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were prepared. After the test, the number of good and defective samples was confirmed. The test results are shown in Table 1.

[0080] [Table 1]

[0081] As shown in Table 1, Example 1 had 1000 good products and 0 defective products. No cracks occurred in any of the samples in Example 1. Comparative Example 1 had 994 good products and 6 defective products.

[0082] Next, a CQM wrapping test was conducted. In this experiment, 10 samples each of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were prepared, and after the test, the number of good and defective items was confirmed. The test results are shown in Table 2.

[0083] [Table 2]

[0084] As shown in Table 2, Example 1 had 10 good samples and 0 defective samples. No cracks occurred in any of the samples in Example 1. Comparative Example 1 had 3 good samples and 7 defective samples.

[0085] From the above results, it was found that Example 1 had a lower rate of crack occurrence in the IC card than Comparative Example 1. In other words, it can be concluded that by using recycled PCTG resin, which has higher impact resistance than recycled PETG resin, for the card substrate in which the first bottom peripheral edge 61p and the second bottom peripheral edge 62p are formed, the durability of the IC card against vibration and bending was improved.

[0086] (modified version) For example, in the embodiment described above, the antenna coil (wound antenna) has connection terminals at both ends, but it may also have a copper pad that straddles the connection terminals at both ends. In this case, the copper pad is milled from the top so that a portion of it is exposed at, for example, the first bottom 61a of the first housing. The copper pad can then be electrically connected to the pad electrode of the IC module via soldering, conductive ink, conductive adhesive, or an anisotropic conductive film (ACF), etc.

[0087] Furthermore, the IC card 1 according to the first embodiment does not necessarily have to use recycled PCTG resin for the material of the back-side intermediate sheet 42, as shown in the IC card 1C in Figure 8. Also, the IC card 1C does not necessarily have to use recycled PCTG resin for the material of the antenna core sheet 33 instead of the back-side intermediate sheet 42. In this case, the back-side intermediate sheet 42 or the antenna core sheet 33 may be formed using recycled PETG resin or the like, for example, similar to the core sheet 31.

[0088] It is preferable to use recycled PCTG resin as the material for the base material in which the first bottom edge or the second bottom edge is formed in the card body. However, as in IC card 1C, it is sufficient if at least the antenna core sheet 33, which has the first bottom edge 61p inside, or the back intermediate sheet 42, which has the second bottom edge 62p inside, uses recycled PCTG resin material. Even in this case, the IC card of the present invention can reduce base material cracking due to crack formation from the first bottom edge or the second bottom edge.

[0089] The IC card of the present invention is not limited to recycled resin materials, but may be formed from renewable bio-derived resources (biomass). Furthermore, the IC card may be formed using post-industrial, post-commercial, or post-consumer materials. Even with such IC card structures, the present invention can provide an environmentally friendly IC card.

[0090] Furthermore, the IC card of the present invention is not limited to, for example, a dual card in which a single IC chip functions as both a contact and a contactless type, as shown in the above-described embodiment. It may also be applied to any structure in which an IC module is fitted into a mating hole, such as a hybrid card in which a contact IC chip and a contactless IC chip are mounted on a single card, or an electromagnetically coupled dual card. An electromagnetically coupled dual card is a card that includes a coupling coil connected to an antenna coil and a connection coil provided on the module substrate of the IC module. In this case, the IC chip of the IC module is connected to the antenna coil by electromagnetic coupling between the coupling coil of the antenna coil and the connection coil of the module substrate. Even with such an IC card structure, the IC card of the present invention achieves the effects of the above-described embodiment.

[0091] Furthermore, the antenna sheet of the above-described embodiment may further include a chip capacitor or the like (including a flat plate capacitor) that is electrically connected in series or parallel to the antenna coil and forms a resonant circuit with the antenna coil to adjust the resonant frequency.

[0092] Furthermore, the shape, size, and form of the fitting hole provided in the IC card of the above-described embodiment are not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately changed according to the shape and size of the module substrate, IC chip, and resin encapsulation part.

[0093] In any of the above embodiments, the IC card according to the present invention can provide an environmentally friendly, durable IC card that prevents cracking of the card's base material and improves quality. [Industrial applicability]

[0094] The IC card according to the present invention is industrially applicable because it is possible to provide an environmentally friendly IC card that prevents cracking of the card's base material, improves quality, and offers high durability. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0095] 1, 1A, 1B, 1C IC cards 1f surface 1g (back side) 2, 2A, 2B Card Body 3, 3B Antenna Sheet 31 Core sheet (second antenna sheet) 32, 32B Antenna coil (wound antenna) 320, 320B connection terminals 320a Connection surface 33, 33B Antenna core sheet (First antenna sheet) 34 IC chips 35 Surface core sheet 4, 4A Intermediate Sheet 41 Front-side intermediate sheet 41A Front Intermediate Sheet (First Antenna Sheet) 42. Reverse side middle sheet (second sheet) 5. Exterior base material (exterior sheet) 51 Outer surface substrate 52 Backside outer substrate 6. Fitting hole (recess) 6h opening 61 First storage section (first recess) 61a First bottom 61b First inner surface (first side) 61p First bottom edge (first edge) 62 Second storage compartment (second recess) 62a Second bottom 62b Second inner surface (second side) 62p Second bottom edge (second edge) 7.7A IC Module 71 Module board (board) 72 IC chips 73 Pad electrodes (electrodes) 74 Contact terminal 75 wires 76 Resin sealing part Dt Thickness direction

Claims

1. A fitting hole is formed having a first recess on its surface having a first bottom and a first side surface, and a second recess at the first bottom that communicates with the first recess and has a narrower opening width than the first recess, and having a second bottom and a second side surface. An insulating first antenna sheet having a first peripheral edge where the first bottom and the first side surface of the first recess intersect, An insulating second antenna sheet laminated on the back side of the first antenna sheet, A conductive antenna coil enclosed within the first antenna sheet and the second antenna sheet, An insulating second sheet is laminated on the back side of the second antenna sheet and has a second peripheral edge where the second bottom and the second side of the second recess intersect, A card body having, An IC module having a substrate formed in a sheet shape and fitted into the fitting hole of the card body, contact terminals arranged on the surface of the substrate, and an IC chip arranged on the back surface of the substrate, Equipped with, The first antenna sheet or the second sheet has higher impact resistance than the second antenna sheet. IC card.

2. At least the first antenna sheet or the second sheet is formed from recycled PCTG resin material. The IC card according to claim 1.

3. The first antenna sheet, the second antenna sheet, and the second sheet are formed from recycled resin material. The IC card according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The IC module further comprises electrodes on the substrate that are electrically connected to the antenna coil. The IC card according to claim 1 or claim 2.

5. The IC module further comprises a connecting coil on the substrate that electromagnetically couples with the antenna coil. The IC card according to claim 1 or claim 2.

6. The second antenna sheet further comprises a contactless IC chip. The IC card according to claim 1 or claim 2.

7. The first antenna sheet further comprises an insulating front-side intermediate sheet laminated on the surface side, The first antenna sheet or the second sheet has higher impact resistance than the front-side intermediate sheet. The IC card according to claim 1 or claim 2.

8. A fitting hole is formed having a first recess on its surface having a first bottom and a first side surface, and a second recess at the first bottom that communicates with the first recess and has a narrower opening width than the first recess, and having a second bottom and a second side surface. An insulating first antenna sheet having a first peripheral edge where the first bottom and the first side surface of the first recess intersect, An insulating second sheet is laminated on the back side of the first antenna sheet and has a second peripheral edge where the second bottom and the second side of the second recess intersect, A card body having, An IC module having a substrate formed in a sheet shape and fitted into the fitting hole of the card body, contact terminals arranged on the surface of the substrate, and an IC chip arranged on the back surface of the substrate, Equipped with, At least the first antenna sheet or the second sheet contains recycled PCTG resin. IC card.

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