DI metal transaction devices and processes for the manufacture thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11618191-B2
Application number	US-202117168382-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2021
Priority date	Jul 27, 2016
Publication date	Apr 4, 2023
Grant date	Apr 4, 2023

Abstract

A transaction device includes a metal layer with one or more discontinuities in the metal layer. Each discontinuity comprises a gap in the metal layer extending from the front surface to the back surface, including at least one discontinuity that defines a path from the device periphery to the opening. A transponder chip module is disposed in the opening. A booster antenna is in communication with the transponder chip module. The device may include at least one fiber-reinforced epoxy laminate material layer. The transponder chip module and the booster antenna may comprise components in a payment circuit, with the metal layer electrically isolated from the payment circuit. The booster antenna may be formed on or embedded in the fiber-reinforced epoxy laminate material layer. Processes for manufacturing transaction devices including a metal layer with one or more fiber-reinforced epoxy laminate material layers are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A transaction device comprising:
a metal layer having a front surface, a back surface, a periphery, an opening in the metal layer, and one or more discontinuities in the metal layer, each discontinuity comprising a gap in the metal layer extending from the front surface to the back surface, including at least one discontinuity that defines a path from the device periphery to the opening;
a transponder chip module disposed in the opening in the metal layer; and
a booster antenna in communication with the transponder chip module, the transponder chip module and the booster antenna comprising components in a circuit configured for wireless communication with a device reader, wherein the metal layer is neither part of the booster antenna nor a component in the circuit.

2. The device of claim 1 , comprising at least two body discontinuities defining respective paths from the device periphery to the opening, wherein the at least two body discontinuities and the opening collectively bisect the device body into at least two discrete portions.

3. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a non-metal molding material in the one or more discontinuities in the metal layer.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the non-metal molding material comprises an adhesive or an epoxy.

5. The device of claim 3 , further comprising a reinforcing layer disposed over the metal layer.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the reinforcing layer comprises fiberglass.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the reinforcing layer comprises a fiber-reinforced epoxy laminate material.

8. The device of claim 6 , comprising a fiber-reinforced epoxy laminate material layer disposed on at least one of the front surface and the back surface of the metal layer.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the metal layer is sandwiched between opposite fiber-reinforced epoxy laminate material layers.

10. The device of claim 9 , further comprising a layer of RF-friendly metal foil layer disposed over one of the fiber-reinforced epoxy laminate material layers.

11. The device of claim 10 , further comprising the booster antenna layer disposed over the other of the fiber-reinforced epoxy laminate material layers or disposed between the metal layer and the other of the fiber-reinforced epoxy laminate material layers.

12. The device of claim 11 , further comprising ink on at least one of the outer surfaces of the device.

13. The device of claim 1 , comprising at least one discontinuity in the metal layer extending from the device periphery to a location other than in the opening.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the plurality of discontinuities in the metal layer intersect with one another.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the intersecting discontinuities comprise a first discontinuity defining a path from the device periphery to the opening and a second discontinuity extending from an intersection with the first discontinuity to an endpoint that is neither in the opening nor at the periphery.

16. The device of claim 1 , wherein the booster antenna comprises a booster antenna layer comprising a plurality of metallizations.

17. The device of claim 16 , each of the plurality of metallizations is electrically isolated from the metal layer.

18. The device of claim 1 , comprising a magnetic stripe disposed on a back layer of the device.

19. The device of claim 1 , comprising a first fiber-reinforced epoxy laminate material layer over a top surface of the metal layer, but not over the transponder chip module in the opening.

20. The device of claim 19 , comprising a second fiber-reinforced epoxy laminate material layer over a bottom surface of the metal layer, including over the opening and over the booster antenna.

21. The device of claim 20 , further comprising a magnetic stripe disposed over the booster antenna.

22. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a transaction card conforming to at least one of CR80 or ISO/IEC 7810:2003 standards.

23. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a hole extending between a top surface and a bottom surface of the device, the hole sized to receive a ring member configured for holding one or more keys.

24. The device of claim 23 , wherein the device comprises a component of a key ring or key chain, further comprising the ring member disposed in the hole.

25. The device of claim 1 , wherein the transponder chip module comprises a dual interface module.

26. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a layer of RF-friendly metal foil layer disposed over the metal layer.

27. A transaction device comprising:
a metal layer having a front surface, a back surface, a periphery, and one or more discontinuities in the metal layer, each discontinuity comprising a gap in the metal layer extending from the front surface to the back surface, including at least one discontinuity extending to the periphery of the metal layer;
a first non-metal, reinforcing layer disposed over the front surface of the metal layer;
a booster antenna disposed over the back surface of the metal layer, the booster antenna comprising a plurality of metallizations isolated from the metal layer;
a second non-metal, reinforcing layer disposed over the back surface of the metal layer;
an opening in the metal layer extending through the first non-metal, reinforcing layer;
a transponder chip module disposed in the opening, the transponder chip module in communication with the booster antenna and together with the booster antenna comprising a payment circuit configured for wireless communication with a device reader.

28. The transaction device of claim 27 , wherein at least a first one of the discontinuities extends from the periphery to the opening in the metal layer.

29. The transaction device of claim 28 , wherein at least second one of the discontinuities extends from the periphery to an endpoint not in the opening in the metal layer.

30. The transaction device of claim 29 , wherein at least a third one of the discontinuities extends from an intersection with the first discontinuity to and endpoint that is neither in the opening nor at the periphery.

31. The transaction device of claim 27 , wherein the metal layer is electrically isolated from the payment circuit.

32. The transaction device of claim 27 , wherein the metal layer is part of the payment circuit.

33. The transaction device of claim 27 , wherein the first non-metal layer and the second non-metal layer each comprise fiber-reinforced epoxy laminate material.

34. A transaction device comprising:
a metal layer having a front surface, a back surface, and a periphery;
an opening in the metal layer extending from the metal layer to a top surface of the device;
one or more discontinuities in the metal layer, each discontinuity comprising a gap in the metal layer extending from the front surface to the back surface, including at least one discontinuity extending between the periphery of the metal layer and the opening in the metal layer;
a back fiber-reinforced epoxy laminate material layer disposed over the back surface of the metal layer;
a booster antenna;
a transponder chip module disposed in the opening and having a top surface accessible from the top surface of the device, the transponde

Assignees

• Composecure Llc

Inventors

• Lowe Adam
• Esau John

Classifications

• H05K3/301

  by means of a mounting structure (H05K3/325 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q13/10

  Resonant slot antennas · CPC title

• G06K19/02

  characterised by the selection of materials, e.g. to avoid wear during transport through the machine · CPC title

• G06K19/077

  Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier · CPC title

• H05K2201/10098

  Components for radio transmission, e.g. radio frequency identification [RFID] tag, printed or non-printed antennas · CPC title