Transaction card having a metal layer and a method for making the transaction card

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12481860-B2
Application number	US-202418788259-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2024
Priority date	Jan 30, 2018
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

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; an opening in the metal layer having a first edge relatively closest to the first short side of the card periphery; 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, wherein the first 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, and wherein the path of the discontinuity has at least one section of curved geometry.

2 . The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the opening in the metal layer is sized to accommodate a transponder chip module, the opening also having a second edge relatively closest to the first long side of the card periphery, a third edge 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;
wherein the first edge is aligned with a first section of the card periphery; and wherein the path has a length greater than a shortest distance from the terminus to the side of the card periphery containing the origin.

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

4 . The transaction card of claim 3 , 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.

5 . The transaction card of claim 4 , wherein one of the at least two changes in direction comprises the at least one section of curved geometry.

6 . The transaction card of claim 1 , 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 comprises the at least one section of curved geometry.

7 . 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.

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

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

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

11 . 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.

12 . 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.

13 . The transaction card of claim 12 , wherein the discontinuity is contained within the area defined by the pocket.

14 . The transaction card of claim 12 , wherein the opening is contained within the area defined by the pocket.

15 . The transaction card of claim 12 , 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.

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

17 . The transaction card of claim 2 , wherein the terminus is located on the first edge at a point non-equidistant from the second edge and the third edge.

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

19 . The transaction card of claim 18 , wherein the non-metal material fills the gap.

20 . A method for making the transaction card of claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of:
(a) providing the metal layer; (b) creating the opening in the metal layer sized to accommodate the transponder chip module; (c) creating the discontinuity; and (d) disposing the transponder chip module in the opening.

21 . 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; an opening in the metal layer having a first edge relatively closest to the first short side of the card periphery; 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, wherein the first 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, and wherein the path of the discontinuity has at least one section that extends toward the terminus along a direction that is parallel to the first long side of the card periphery.

22 . The transaction card of claim 21 , wherein the at least one section comprises a first section extending from the origin toward the terminus that is parallel to the first long side of the card periphery, and a second section extending to the terminus that is parallel to the first long side of the card periphery.

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

• G06K19/0723 Primary

  the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs · CPC title

• G06K19/07794

  the record carrier comprising a booster or auxiliary antenna in addition to the antenna connected directly to the integrated circuit · CPC title

• G06K19/02

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