Method of making ceramic-containing transaction cards

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10607125-B2
Application number	US-201615070414-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2016
Priority date	Feb 6, 2015
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

A transaction card includes a card body that may comprise a ceramic material, the card body including a primary surface and a secondary surface, a laser marked feature disposed on the card body and a laser etched feature disposed on the card body. A method of making a transaction card may comprise forming a ceramic material slurry comprising a ceramic material and a binder, forming a green body from the ceramic material slurry, firing the green body at a firing temperature to create a fired ceramic body, grinding the fired ceramic body into a card body, and polishing a primary surface of the card body.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of making a transaction card comprising:
creating a card body comprising a binder in a ceramic material and fiber reinforcing the ceramic material;
coupling a layer of at least one of metal or plastic to the card body;
creating a pocket in a primary surface of the card body of the transaction card,
wherein the card body is about 3-⅜ inches by about 2-¼ inches by about 0.03 inches;
depositing a magnetic stripe and a signature panel on a secondary surface of the card body;
creating a recess comprising an opening in the pocket;
disposing an insulating material in the pocket and positioned between an integrated RF module and the card body to act as an adhesive and to electrically insulate the integrated RF module and the card body;
disposing an entirety of a second side of the integrated RF module into the pocket, such that a first outer portion of the second side of the integrated RF module rests on the pocket,
wherein a second inner portion of the second side of the integrated RF module includes a non-uniform thickness;
resting the second inner portion of the second side of the integrated RF module over the opening of the recess; and
leveling a first side of the integrated RF module to be flush with the primary surface.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising laser finishing the primary surface to add a laser matte feature disposed directly in the ceramic material, wherein the laser matte feature comprises at least a portion of the primary surface of the ceramic material.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising laser marking the primary surface to form a laser marked feature comprising at least one of an account number, a name, or a loyalty notation.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising laser etching the primary surface to form a laser etched feature comprising a palpable indentation that comprises at least one of a logo or a microtype.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the laser finishing occupies an entirety of the primary surface.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising laser cutting the pocket into the primary surface.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising laser cutting the primary surface to form a chamfered edge between the primary surface and a side surface.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising creating a polished feature on the card body.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising creating the card body out of at least one of zirconium oxide, zirconium dioxide, boron carbide, or silicon carbide and including a dopant in the card body comprising at least one of yttria (Y 2 O 3 ), calcium oxide, aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, a rare earth metal, or oxides of the foregoing.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising creating the card body as a monolithic card body.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
creating the secondary surface;
connecting the secondary surface to the side surface; and
connecting the side surface to the primary surface.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising creating the secondary surface with a gloss/matte feature comprising a gloss portion and a matte portion.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising creating the recess extending in a direction of the secondary surface.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the fiber includes at least one of carbon fibers, aramid fibers, fiberglass fibers, fibers reinforced with zirconia or fibers reinforced with silicon carbide.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of laser marking the primary surface to form a laser marked feature or laser etching the primary surface to form a laser etched feature.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
forming a ceramic material slurry comprising the ceramic material and the binder;
forming a green body from the ceramic material slurry;
firing the green body at a firing temperature to create a fired green body;
grinding the fired green body into the card body; and
polishing the primary surface of the card body.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising laser marking the card body to form account indicia.

Assignees

• American Express Travel Related Services Co Inc

Inventors

• Williams Troy Patrick
• Bates Peter

Classifications

• B32B2262/0269

  Aromatic polyamide fibres · CPC title

• B32B2307/406

  Bright, glossy, shiny surface · CPC title

• C04B35/64

  Burning or sintering processes (C04B33/32 takes precedence {; powder metallurgy B22F}) · CPC title

• C04B41/53

  involving the removal of at least part of the materials of the treated article, {e.g. etching, drying of hardened concrete (C04B41/0036 - C04B41/0054 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B32B3/085

  spaced apart pieces on the surface of a layer · CPC title