Metal, ceramic, or ceramic-coated transaction card with window or window pattern and optional backlighting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12086669-B2
Application number	US-202117550130-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2021
Priority date	Oct 18, 2017
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

Abstract

A transaction card includes at least one metal layer having one or more apertures therein. A light guide is disposed beneath the metal layer. The light guide has a light output and a light input. The light output is positioned to transmit light through at least the one or more apertures of the metal layer. At least one LED is positioned to transmit light into the light guide light input.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A transaction card comprising:
a metal, ceramic, or ceramic-coated body having a thickness, a front face, a back face, and a visual appearance;
a pocket in the body having a periphery and extending from the back face to a location adjacent the front face;
a plurality of openings extending from the front face into the pocket, the plurality of openings forming a pattern and having a periphery;
an insert disposed in the pocket, the insert having a visual appearance different than the visual appearance of the body and visible through the plurality of openings;
a non-metal backing layer laminated to the back face of the body and a back face of the insert;
wherein the body comprises at least a first layer as the front face of the body and the first layer has a first thickness and a second layer as the back face of the body and has a second thickness, the plurality of openings penetrating entirely through the first thickness of the first layer and a single opening defined by the pocket penetrating entirely through the second thickness of the second layer; and
wherein the insert comprises one of:
(a) a non-magnifying transparent or translucent member having a front-facing surface disposed flush with the body front face and having a periphery matching the periphery of the plurality of openings;
(b) a non-transparent, non-functional member having a front-facing surface disposed recessed relative to the body front face; and
(c) a combination of (a) and (b).

2. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the non-magnifying transparent or translucent member is adorned with decorative printed content.

3. The transaction card of claim 2 , wherein one or more features printed on the front face of the body and the decorative printed content on the non-magnifying transparent or translucent member comprise UV curable inks or features printed by solvent printing, oxidation printing, dye printing, or sublimation printing.

4. The transaction card of claim 1 , comprising a continuous peripheral printed line disposed on a portion of the non-magnifying transparent or translucent member immediately adjacent the body and a portion of the body immediately adjacent the non-magnifying transparent or translucent member, and extending across an interface between the at least one of the plurality of openings and the body.

5. The transaction card of claim 4 , wherein the non-magnifying transparent or translucent member defines an area, and the area defined by the non-magnifying transparent or translucent member is devoid of printed content except for the continuous peripheral printed line, the line extending across an interface between the non-magnifying transparent or translucent member and the body, leaving a majority of the area defined by the non-magnifying transparent or translucent member unobscured by printing.

6. The transaction card of claim 1 , further comprising decorative grooves in the front face of the body.

7. The transaction card of claim 6 , further comprising a fill in the decorative grooves.

8. The transaction card of claim 7 , wherein the fill in the decorative grooves has a first color and the front face of the body has a color different than the first color.

9. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the front face of the body further comprises a hard coat layer.

10. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the front face of the body is devoid of a laminated covering.

11. The transaction card of claim 1 , further comprising a magnetic stripe, a signature panel, a hologram, a machine-readable code, or a combination thereof.

12. The transaction card of claim 1 , further comprising an embedded integrated circuit connected to (a) contacts configured to be read by a card reader, (b) an RFID antenna, or (c) a combination thereof.

13. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the insert comprises a transparent or translucent member having at least a portion thereof that is conductive.

14. The transaction card of claim 13 , wherein the transparent or translucent member comprises a conductive coating on an outer surface of the transparent or translucent member or is comprised of a conductive polymer.

15. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the insert comprises a transparent or translucent member, further comprising an electronic feature in or on the transparent or translucent member, and having printed conductive traces connected to the electronic feature, further comprising a conductive interface connecting the conductive traces in the transparent or translucent member to conductive members in the body configured to transmit power and/or electrical signals to the conductive traces in the transparent or translucent member.

16. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the non-magnifying transparent or translucent member further comprises a coupling antenna disposed in the non-magnifying transparent or translucent member.

17. The transaction card of claim 16 , wherein a contactless payment module and the coupling antenna are partially obscured by or integrated with printed decorative content in the non-magnifying transparent or translucent member.

18. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the body comprises metal and has a contactless payment module disposed therein, and the non-magnifying transparent or translucent member is located in a position on the body that improves RF performance of the card relative to a card with an absence of the non-magnifying transparent or translucent member.

19. The transaction card of claim 1 , further comprising a recessed ledge in the back face of the body surrounding the single opening defined by the pocket, wherein the insert comprises a stepped periphery comprising an outermost region having a geometry configured to mate with the recessed ledge, and an innermost periphery configured to fit within the single opening.

20. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the insert consists of the non-transparent, non-functional member and wherein the front-facing surface of the non-transparent, non-functional member is adjacent to the plurality of openings, and the plurality of openings are tactilely perceptible in the front face of the body.

21. The transaction card of claim 20 , wherein a plurality of portions of the front-facing surface of the non-transparent member protrude into the plurality of openings and are disposed flush with the front face of the body.

22. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the insert comprises the non-transparent, non-functional member and a plurality of transparent or translucent members, wherein the front-facing surface of the non-transparent, non-functional member is adjacent to the plurality of openings, and the plurality of transparent or translucent members comprise an epoxy.

23. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the insert comprises the non-transparent, non-functional member and a plurality of transparent or translucent members, wherein the front-facing surface of the non-transparent, non-functional member is adjacent to the plurality of openings, and the plurality of transparent or translucent members comprise portions of a transparent or translucent layer disposed over the front face of the body that protrude into the plurality of openings.

24. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the insert comprises a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, metal, ceramic, wood, crystal, stone, bone, mother-of-pearl, and leather or combination t

Assignees

• Composecure Llc

Inventors

• Lowe Adam
• Dasilva Luis

Classifications

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• B32B2425/00

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

• B32B2310/0843

  using laser · CPC title

• B32B2307/412

  Transparent · CPC title

• B32B2255/20

  Inorganic coating · CPC title