Metal Smart Card With Encapsulated High-Density Plug for Added Weight
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need to increase the weight of metal smart cards while maintaining their size and functionality, particularly in luxury banking, where stainless steel cards are limited by their density and machinability, and heavier alloys pose manufacturing challenges.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a denser metal plug, such as tungsten, into the card body, which is encapsulated by a stainless steel body to enhance weight without compromising durability and manufacturability, and integrating electronic components like an antenna within the metal card body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a denser metal plug (e.g., tungsten) is incorporated into the card body to increase weight, then the weight of the smart card is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies nesting by placing a denser metal plug inside a cavity of the metal card body. The metal plug is housed within the metal card body structure, creating a nested configuration where the high-density material is contained within the existing card framework. This allows weight increase without requiring the entire card to be made of heavy material, thus managing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining the metal card body (e.g., stainless steel) with a denser metal plug (e.g., tungsten or tungsten alloy). This composite structure leverages the advantages of both materials: the durability and manufacturability of stainless steel and the high density of tungsten, achieving the desired weight while maintaining workability.
2Weight of moving object
If a denser metal plug is incorporated into the card body to increase weight, then the weight of the smart card is improved, but the ease of manufacture deteriorates due to manufacturing challenges with heavier alloys
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the card into two functional parts: the metal card body made of easily manufacturable stainless steel, and the internal metal plug made of denser material. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the body for ease of manufacture and the plug for weight - then assembled together, resolving the contradiction between weight and manufacturability.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite material approach allows the use of stainless steel for the card body, which is easy to manufacture and machine, while incorporating a smaller amount of dense metal plug that provides the weight benefit. This composite structure balances the ease of manufacture of the primary material with the weight advantages of the secondary material.
3Weight of moving object
If the metal card body is made thicker to increase weight, then the weight of the smart card is improved, but the device complexity and potential damage to reading machines increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the overall card thickness, the patent nests a dense metal plug within the existing card body cavity. This maintains the standard card external dimensions and thickness, preventing damage to reading machines while achieving weight increase through the high-density internal material.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the high-density material specifically in the internal plug rather than uniformly throughout the card. This localized approach to weight enhancement achieves the desired weight without increasing overall card dimensions, thus avoiding harm to reading machines while maintaining standard card size.
Data Source
AI summary
A metal smart card, having an inlay layer, the inlay layer including a metal card body, the metal card body defining at least one cavity in the metal card body, the at least one cavity having a continuous surface defined by an inner surface of the metal card body, a metal plug, the metal plug being housed inside the at least one cavity, an electronic component, the electronic component being housed inside the at least one cavity, and a polymer layer disposed on an outer surface of the inlay layer, the polymer layer being in contact with an outer surface of the metal plug.