Soft touch resin and transaction card comprising the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10325437-B2
Application number	US-201815958876-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2018
Priority date	Dec 9, 2016
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods are provided for manufacturing a transaction card. The disclosed apparatuses and methods may be used to form a transaction card frame configured to house a data storage component. The card frame may be formed of a resin mixture comprising a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). The card frame may also have a Shore D hardness in the range of 20-80.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transaction card, comprising:
a transaction component; and
a card frame configured to house the transaction component, wherein:
the card frame comprises a pocket, the pocket comprising a first surface, a second surface, and a third surface;
the card frame is formed of a resin mixture comprising thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and at least one of acetal homopolymer or polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), with a ratio of TPE to the at least one of acetal homopolymer or PBT being between 30:70 and 70:30; and
the TPE has a flexural modulus in the range of 1100-1150 MPa.

2. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein:
the second surface is recessed a first depth from the first surface; and
the third surface is recessed a second depth from the first surface.

3. The transaction card of claim 2 , wherein the second depth is greater than the first depth.

4. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the pocket comprises a base portion formed by the third surface.

5. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein:
the transaction component comprises a contact plate; and
the second surface is configured to house the contact.

6. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein:
the transaction component comprises a contact plate; and
the third surface is configured to house the contact.

7. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the transaction component comprises at least one of a microchip, a communication device, a Near Field Communication (NFC) device, an antenna, a Bluetooth® device, and a WiFi device.

8. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of TPE to the at least one of acetal homopolymer or PBT is between 40:60 to 60:40.

9. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein:
the resin mixture comprises PBT; and
the PBT has a flexural modulus in the range of 1600-8500 MPa.

10. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the TPE has a flexural modulus in the range of 900-1150 MPa.

11. A method of manufacturing a transaction card, comprising:
forming a card frame out of a resin mixture, the resin mixture comprising thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and at least one of acetal homopolymer or polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), with a ratio of TPE to the at least one of acetal homopolymer or PBT being between 30:70 and 70:30, and the TPE having a flexural modulus in the range of 1100-1150 MPa; and
forming a pocket on the card frame, the pocket comprising a first surface, a second surface, and a third surface.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising forming the pocket such that the second surface is recessed a first depth from the first surface, and the third surface is recessed a second depth from the first surface.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising forming the pocket on the card frame such that the second depth is greater than the first depth.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein forming the pocket comprises forming the pocket such that the third surface defines a base portion of the pocket.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein forming the pocket comprises forming the pocket such that the second surface is configured to house a contact plate of a transaction component.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein forming the pocket comprises forming the pocket such that the third surface is configured to house a contact plate of a transaction component.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising disposing a transaction component in the pocket, wherein the transaction component comprises at least one of a microchip, a communication device, a Near Field Communication (NFC) device, an antenna, a Bluetooth® device, and a WiFi device.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ratio of TPE to the at least one of acetal homopolymer or PBT is between 40:60 to 60:40.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the resin mixture comprises PBT; and
the PBT has a flexural modulus in the range of 1600-8500 MPa.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the TPE has a flexural modulus in the range of 900-1150 MPa.

Assignees

• Capital One Services Llc

Inventors

• Suthar Om J

Classifications

• C08L2207/04

  Thermoplastic elastomer · CPC title

• G07F7/0806 Primary

  Details of the card (record carriers per se G06K) · CPC title

• B32B2425/00

  Cards, e.g. identity cards, credit cards · CPC title

• B29K2995/0073

  smooth · CPC title

• G06K19/0772

  Physical layout of the record carrier · CPC title