Transaction and id cards having selected texture and coloring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017098151-A1
Application number	US-201615379569-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 15, 2016
Priority date	May 22, 2014
Publication date	Apr 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Cards made in accordance with the invention include a specially treated thin decorative layer attached to a thick core layer of metal or ceramic material, where the thin decorative layer is designed to provide selected color(s) and/or selected texture(s) to a surface of the metal cards. Decorative layers for use in practicing the invention include: (a) an anodized metal layer; or (b) a layer of material derived from plant or animal matter (e.g., wood, leather); or (c) an assortment of aggregate binder material (e.g., cement, mortar, epoxies) mixed with laser reactive materials (e.g., finely divided carbon); or (d) a ceramic layer; and (e) a layer of crystal fabric material. The cards may be dual interface smart cards which can be read in a contactless manner and/or via contacts.

First claim

1 - 57 . (canceled)

58 . A method for making cards with a given appearance comprising the steps of:
selecting a thick core layer for forming a body of said card, said thick core layer having a thickness in the range of 0.005 inches to 0.032 inches and first and second surfaces generally parallel to each other; and selecting a first thin decorative layer and attaching said thin decorative layer to the first surface of the thick core layer, said thin decorative layer having a thickness in a range of 0.0005 inches to 0.014 inches and comprising ceramic material.

59 . The method of claim 58 wherein said step of attaching said thin decorative layer to a thick core layer includes the step of forming a pocket within a surface of said thick core layer and firmly attaching said thin decorative layer within said pocket.

60 . The method of claim 59 wherein the pocket has a depth that is substantially equal to a thickness of the decorative layer.

61 . The method of claim 58 further including the step of attaching a second thin decorative layer to the second surface of the thick core layer.

62 . The method of claim 61 wherein said thin decorative layer attached to the second surface of the thick metal layer comprises ceramic material.

63 . The method of claim 58 , wherein said thick core layer consists of metal, ceramic or a combination thereof.

64 . The method of claim 58 , wherein the thin decorative layer comprises ceramic microparticles and a curable resin binder suspended in a carrier solution, and the applying step comprises spray coating the thin decorative layer onto the thick core layer.

65 . The method of claim 58 further comprising applying a design to the thin decorative layer.

66 . The method of claim 65 , wherein the thin decorative layer comprises laser reactive materials and the step of applying the design comprises laser marking the thin decorative layer.

67 . The method of claim 65 , wherein the thin decorative layer comprises an aggregate binder material veneer layer comprising cement and carbon particles, and the laser marking step includes vaporizing carbon particles using the laser source to produce a visible contrast between areas from which carbon particles have been vaporized relative to adjacent areas from which carbon particles have not been vaporized.

68 . The method of claim 58 , further comprising identification indicia formed by phosphors in the thin decorative layer operative to shift incident light upfield or downfield.

69 . A card having a front side and a back side, said card comprising:
a thick core layer having a thickness in the range of 0.005 inches to 0.032 inches, said thick core layer forming a bulk of the card and having a predetermined color and texture, said thick core layer having first and second surfaces extending generally parallel to each other and comprising metal, ceramic, or a combination thereof; and a thin decorative layer attached to said first surface of said thick core layer for providing at least one of a different color and different texture to the card relative to the thick core layer, said thin decorative layer having a thickness in the range of 0.0005 inches to 0.014 inches, said thin decorative layer comprising ceramic material.

70 . The card of claim 69 , wherein said ceramic material comprises an aggregate binder material veneer layer of cement mixed with laser reactive carbon particles, and wherein said veneer layer has a pattern formed therein due to an absence of the carbon particles.

71 . The card of claim 69 , wherein said thin decorative layer attached to the first surface of said thick core layer is a first thin decorative layer, and the card further comprises a second thin decorative layer attached to the second surface of said thick core layer.

72 . The card of claim 71 , wherein said second thin decorative layer comprises ceramic material.

73 . The card of claim 71 , wherein the thin decorative layer attached to the first surface of said thick core layer is different than the thin decorative layer attached to the second surface of said thick core layer.

74 . The card of claim 69 , wherein said thick core layer consists of ceramic, metal, or a combination of ceramic and metal, and has a pocket formed in a first surface of said thick core layer, wherein said thin decorative layer Is attached to the thick core layer within the pocket.

75 . A card comprising:
a thick metal layer having a thickness in the range of 0.005 inches to 0.035 inches, said thick metal layer forming the bulk of the card and having a predetermined color; said thick metal layer having a top surface and a bottom surface; a pocket formed within the top surface of the thick metal layer, the depth of the pocket extending between 0.003 inches and 0.033 inches below the surface of the thick metal layer; and a border around the outer periphery of the metal layer; and a thin decorative layer attached to the pocket formed within said top surface of the thick metal layer, the thin decorative layer comprising a ceramic material having a color or a texture different than a color or texture of the metal layer.

76 . The card of claim 75 wherein the ceramic material comprises a ceramic layer comprising ceramic microparticles and a curable resin binder suspended in a carrier solution coated onto the thick core layer.

77 . The card of claim 75 wherein the ceramic material comprises an aggregate binder material veneer layer comprising cement mixed with laser reactive materials.

Assignees

• Composecure Llc

Inventors

• Herslow John
• Lowe Adam
• Dasilva Luis

Classifications

• B32B3/30

  characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. {hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs (apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26)} · CPC title

• B32B38/105

  on edges · CPC title

• B32B27/36

  comprising polyesters · CPC title

• B32B9/025

  comprising leather · CPC title

• B32B9/047

  made of fibres or filaments · CPC title