Wood inlay card and method for making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10832115-B2
Application number	US-201916421943-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2019
Priority date	Nov 29, 2016
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

A transaction card construction and a method for making a transaction card are provided for improving card performance. The transaction card construction comprises an inlay component comprising wood and a housing component. The inlay may comprise a wood or wood-containing layer and a backer layer. The backer layer may comprise the same or a different wood or wood-containing layer, or a non-woven fiber material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a transaction card, comprising:
softening a first wood layer and a second wood layer;
thinning the first and second wood layers;
joining the thinned and softened first wood layer, and the thinned and softened second wood layer to form a laminated layer, the laminated layer having a thickness of between 1/24 and 1/16 of an inch;
forming a wood inlay from the laminated layer; and
joining the wood inlay and a housing component of the card via a surface of the wood inlay and a surface of the housing component, the housing component being configured to receive the wood inlay.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
disposing a data storage component between the wood inlay and the housing component.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
forming a first wood grain pattern on the first wood layer.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
forming a second wood grain pattern on the second wood layer.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein forming the laminated layer comprises orienting the first wood layer with respect to the second wood layer such that a wood grain direction of the first wood layer is non-parallel with a wood grain direction of the second wood layer.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
coating a surface of the wood inlay with a protective layer.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the protective layer comprises at least one of lacquer, shellac, urethane, polyurethane, or acrylic.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
adding card information to a surface of the housing component.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the housing component is formed of a material that is clear after manufacturing is complete, the card information being visible through the housing component.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the housing component comprises a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the TPE comprises at least one of a polyester elastomer, a block copolymer, a thermoplastic olefin, an elastomeric alloy, a thermoplastic polyurethane, a thermoplastic copolyester, or a thermoplastic polyamide.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the housing component comprises an opaque material.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the housing component comprises at least one of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) or Polycarbonate (PC).

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first wood layer comprises a composite material.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first wood layer comprises a medium-density fiberboard.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first wood layer comprises a natural wood.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wood inlay comprises a visual blocker layer between the thinned first and second wood layers.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the visual blocker layer comprises an opaque material.

19. A method of manufacturing a transaction card, comprising:
softening a first wood layer and a second wood layer, a material of the first wood layer being different from a material of the second wood layer;
thinning the first and second wood layers;
joining the thinned and softened first wood layer, and the thinned and softened second wood layer to form a laminated layer, the laminated layer having a thickness of between 1/24 and 1/16 of an inch;
forming a wood inlay from the laminated layer; and
joining the wood inlay and a housing component of the card via a surface of the wood inlay and a surface of the housing component, the housing component being configured to receive the wood inlay.

20. A method of manufacturing a transaction card, comprising:
softening a first wood layer and a second wood layer, a material of the first and second wood layers being the same material;
thinning the first and second wood layers;
joining the thinned and softened first wood layer, and the thinned and softened second wood layer to form a laminated layer, the laminated layer having a thickness of between 1/24 and 1/16 of an inch;
forming a wood inlay from the laminated layer; and
joining the wood inlay and a housing component of the card via a surface of the wood inlay and a surface of the housing component, the housing component being configured to receive the wood inlay.

Assignees

• Capital One Services Llc

Inventors

• Suthar Om J

Classifications

• G06K19/00

  Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings · CPC title

• B32B2425/00

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

• G06K19/06196

  Constructional details · CPC title

• B32B21/042

  of wood (B32B21/13 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06K19/07724 Primary

  the record carrier being at least partially made by a molding process (molding in general B29C45/14) · CPC title