Di capacitive embedded metal card

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11301743-B2
Application number	US-202016983395-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2020
Priority date	Jan 30, 2018
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

A transaction card having a metal layer, an opening in the metal layer for a transponder chip, and at least one discontinuity extending from an origin on the card periphery to a terminus in the opening. The card has a greater flex resistance than a card having a comparative discontinuity with the terminus and the origin the same distance from a line defined by a first long side of the card periphery in an absence of one or more strengthening features. Strengthening features include a discontinuity wherein one of the terminus or the origin are located relatively closer to the first long side of the card periphery than the other, a plurality of discontinuities wherein fewer than all extend from the card periphery to the opening, a self-supporting, non-metal layer disposed on at least one surface of the card, or one or more ceramic reinforcing tabs surrounding the opening.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A transaction card having a card periphery defined by a plurality of sides, including first and second parallel short sides and first and second parallel long sides, the short sides relatively shorter than the long sides, the card comprising:
a metal layer having a front surface and a back surface; and
an opening in the metal layer sized to accommodate a transponder chip module, the opening having a first edge parallel and relatively closest to the first short side of the card periphery and aligned with a first section of the card periphery, a second edge parallel and relatively closest to the first long side of the card periphery, a third edge parallel and relatively closest to the second long side of the card periphery, the first edge relatively closer to the short side of the card periphery than the second edge is to the long side of the card periphery, and the second edge relatively closer to the first long side of the card periphery than the third edge is to the second long side of the card periphery, the edges of the opening defining corners, and
a discontinuity in the metal layer comprising a gap in the metal layer extending from the front surface to the back surface, the discontinuity defining a path from an origin at the card periphery and terminating at a terminus in the opening, wherein one of the terminus or the origin are located relatively closer to a line defined by the first long side of the card periphery than the other, and the path has a length greater than a shortest distance from the terminus to the side of the card periphery containing the origin, wherein the short side of the card periphery has a region aligned with the first edge of the opening, and the origin is located on the card periphery outside the aligned region.

2. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the path comprises at least two changes in direction of 90 degrees or more.

3. The transaction card of claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the path of the discontinuity defines a stairstep geometry comprising more than two changes in direction of 90 degrees.

4. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the path of the discontinuity has at least one section of curved geometry.

5. The transaction card of claim 4 , wherein the path of the discontinuity has one or more changes in direction greater than or equal to 90 degrees, wherein at least one change in direction has a curved geometry.

6. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the discontinuity extends from the first short side of the card periphery to the second edge of the opening.

7. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the discontinuity extends from the first long side or the second long side of the card periphery to the opening.

8. The transaction card of claim 1 , further comprising the transponder chip module disposed in the opening, wherein the metal layer comprises a booster antenna or amplifier for the transponder chip module.

9. The transaction card of claim 1 , further comprising a first non-metal layer disposed on a first surface of the metal layer.

10. The transaction card of claim 9 , wherein the non-metal layer comprises a plastic layer.

11. The transaction card of claim 9 , wherein the non-metal layer comprises a ceramic layer.

12. The transaction card of claim 11 , wherein the ceramic layer comprises a ceramic coating and gap defined by the discontinuity is at least partially filled with the ceramic coating.

13. The transaction card of claim 9 , further comprising a second non-metal layer disposed on a second surface of the metal layer.

14. The transaction card of claim 13 , wherein the first non-metal layer comprises a ceramic layer and the second non-metal layer comprises a plastic layer.

15. The transaction card of claim 9 , wherein the first non-metal layer comprises a self-supporting layer.

16. The transaction card of claim 15 , wherein the self-supporting layer comprises polyimide or a fiberglass reinforced layer comprising an epoxy.

17. The transaction card of claim 15 , wherein the transaction card has a greater resistance to damage caused by flexure of the transaction card than a reference transaction card having an otherwise identical configuration but lacking a same self-supporting non-metal layer.

18. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the discontinuity is optically visible from one or both surfaces of the card.

19. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the discontinuity is not optically visible from at least one surface of the card.

20. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the opening is a stepped opening having a first open area defined in the first surface of the card and a second open area defined in the second surface of the card, wherein the first open area is greater than the second open area.

21. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the metal layer defines a first area and comprises a pocket defining a second area smaller than the first area, further comprising a non-metal insert disposed in the pocket.

22. The transaction card of claim 21 , wherein the discontinuity is contained within the area defined by the pocket.

23. The transaction card of claim 21 , wherein the opening is contained within the area defined by the pocket.

24. The transaction card of claim 21 , wherein the non-metal insert is self-supporting.

25. The transaction card of claim 21 , wherein the non-metal insert is ceramic.

26. The transaction card of claim 21 , comprising a first pocket on a front surface of the metal layer and a second pocket on a back surface of the metal layer, and a first non-metal insert disposed in the first pocket and a second non-metal insert disposed in the second pocket.

27. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the transaction card comprises a plurality of metal layers.

28. The transaction card of claim 27 , wherein the at least one discontinuity in a first metal layer aligns with a non-discontinuous region of a second metal layer.

29. The transaction card of claim 28 , wherein the at least one discontinuity in the first metal layer comprises a groove that visibly reveals the second metal layer from an outer surface of the transaction card.

30. The transaction card of claim 29 , wherein the second metal layer has a different color than the first metal layer.

31. The transaction card of claim 29 , wherein the second metal layer comprises a different metal than the first metal layer.

32. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the transaction card has a greater resistance to damage caused by flexure of the transaction card than a reference card having an otherwise identical configuration except for a discontinuity terminus and discontinuity origin located equidistant from the line defined by the first long side of the card periphery.

33. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the terminus is located on the first edge at a point non-equidistant from the second edge and the third edge or on the second edge or third edge at a point non-equidistant from the first edge and a fourth edge opposite the first edge.

34. The transaction card of claim 1 , further comprising a non-metal material disposed in the gap defined by the discontinuity.

35. The transaction card of claim 34 , wherein the non-metal material fi

Assignees

• Composecure Llc

Inventors

• Lowe Adam
• Logan Michele
• Skelding Dori
• Hussain Syeda

Classifications

• H10W70/699

  for flat cards, e.g. credit cards · CPC title

• G06K19/07769

  the further communication means being a galvanic interface, e.g. hybrid or mixed smart cards having a contact and a non-contact interface · CPC title

• H01Q1/38

  formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support {(patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface  H01Q15/142)} · CPC title

• H01Q1/22

  by structural association with other equipment or articles · CPC title

• G06K19/07722 Primary

  the record carrier being multilayered, e.g. laminated sheets (flat articles in general, see B32B37/00) · CPC title