Card with metal layer and electrostatic protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9569718-B2
Application number	US-201314134436-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2013
Priority date	Dec 19, 2013
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

A metal card or a hybrid metal-plastic includes an acrylic resin protective clear-coat layer and/or a “hard” nano-particle top-coat layer overlying any exposed metal surface in order to insulate the metal and reduce the likelihood of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) or a short circuit condition. In a particular embodiment the “hard” nano-particle top-coat layer overlies the clear coat layer. The dual stage protective layers which include a clear-coat layer and a top-coat ensure that the problem associated with an ESD and/or a short circuit condition is minimized. In addition, the dual stage protection imparted to a card by forming a clear-coat layer and a top-coat layer ensures that any card surface treatment or card decoration is protected over time from excessive wear or scratching due to use in conjunction with a POS device and/or handling.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A card comprising:
a layer of non-magnetic electrically conductive material having an inner surface and outer surface; said inner and outer surfaces being generally planar and parallel to each other;
a first assembly of electrically non-conductive material attached to the inner surface of the layer of non-magnetic electrically conductive material; and
an electrically non-conducting protective coating overlying said outer surface for preventing said outer surface from making direct contact with any other surface; and wherein said protective coating forms the outer layer of the card and includes the following: (a) a clear coat layer of resin to provide electrical insulation to any surface it overlies; and (b) a hard top coat layer of electrically nonconductive nanoparticles in direct contact with and overlying the clear coat layer to provide both additional electrical insulation and protection against wear and tear and scratching to any surface it overlies; and wherein said clear coat layer and said hard top coat layer form the two outer layers of said card.

2. The card as claimed in claim 1 wherein the resin of the clear coat layer may be from any of the following an acrylic resin including, but not limited to, any of numerous thermoplastic or thermosetting polymers or copolymers of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, esters of these acids, or acrylonitrile, an ultra violet (UV) curable resin blend including polyester, urethane, diol and carboxyl acrylates with ceramic particles, multifunctional acrylate, polymers or any like material; wherein the clear coat resin layer may be applied by spraying, screen printing, painting, powder coating; and wherein the clear coat layer may be processed by ultra violet (UV) curing, electron beam curing, oven heat, any suitable radiation curing method;
wherein said layer of non-magnetic electrically conductive material is a metal layer; and
wherein said card includes at least one of the following an RFID chip or a direct contact chip.

3. The card as claimed in claim 2 wherein the thickness of the clear coat layer may be in the range of 3 microns to 25 microns.

4. The card as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hard top coat layer of nano-parrticles includes a nano-particle layer formed from any of the following: silicon nano-particles, ceramics, any hard, electrically non-conductive, materials, or any hard particles; and wherein the top coat layer may be applied by atomizing, spraying, painting, roll coating, screen printing, or thermal transfer; and wherein the top coat layer may be processed by conventional automotive type spray guns, brushes, screen printing equipment, or roll lamination.

5. The card as claimed in claim 4 wherein the thickness of the hard top coat nano-particle layer may be in the range of 1.5 to 15 microns.

6. The card as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hard top coat layer of nano-particles provides a protective coat which reduces wear and abrasion of the underlying clear coat and wherein the hard top coat layer also functions to add another layer of insulation to the electrically conductive material layer.

7. A card as claimed in claim 1 wherein said electrically non-conducting protective coating overlying said outer surface is a first electrically non-conducting protective coating; and wherein said first assembly of electrically non-conductive material includes a second electrically non-conducting protective coating overlying said inner surface for preventing said inner surface from making direct contact with any other surface; and wherein said second protective coating includes at least one of the following: (a) a second clear coat layer of resin; or (b) a second hard top coat layer of nano-particles.

8. A card as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first assembly of electrically non-conductive material includes a clear coat layer of resin overlying said inner surface of the layer of electrically conductive material and a top coat layer of nano-particles in direct contact with and overlying said clear coat layer overlying said inner surface.

9. The card as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first assembly includes at least two layers of plastic material which are laminated together and pre-shrunk at a first temperature and at a first pressure, and wherein said first assembly is attached via an adhesive layer to the inner surface of the electrically conductive material layer and wherein the electrically conductive material layer and the first assembly form a second assembly which is laminated at a temperature which is less than the first temperature.

10. The card as claimed in claim 9 further including an additional protective coating overlying said first assembly; said additional protective coating including at least one of the following: (a) an additional clear coat layer of resin; and (b) an additional hard top coat layer of nano-particles.

11. A card comprising:
a layer of electrically conductive metal having an inner surface and outer surface; said inner and outer surfaces being generally planar and parallel to each other;
a first electrically non-conducting protective coating overlying said inner surface for preventing said inner surface from making direct contact with any other surface;
a second electrically non-conducting protective coating overlying said outer surface for preventing said outer surface from making direct contact with any other surface;
wherein said first protective coating includes the following: (a) a first clear coat layer of resin; and (b) a first hard top coat layer of nano-particles; and
wherein said second protective coating includes at least one of the following: (a) a second clear coat layer of resin to provide electrical insulation to any surface it overlies; or (b) a second hard top coat layer of nano-particles to provide both electrical insulation and protection against wear and tear to any surface it overlies.

12. The card as claimed in claim 11 wherein said first electrically non-conducting protective coating includes a first clear coat layer of resin overlying said inner surface and a first hard top coat layer overlying said first clear coat layer; and wherein said second electrically non-conducting protective coating includes a second clear coat layer of resin overlying said outer surface and a second hard top coat layer overlying said second clear coat layer; and wherein said card includes an RFID chip or a direct contact chip.

13. The card as claimed in claim 11 wherein
(a) the resin of each clear coat layer may be from any of the following an acrylic resin including, but not limited to, any of numerous thermoplastic or thermosetting polymers or copolymers of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, esters of these acids, or acrylonitrile, an ultra violet (UV) curable resin blend including polyester, urethane, diol and carboxyl acrylates with ceramic particles, multifunctional acrylate, polymers or any like material; wherein the clear coat resin layer may be applied by spraying, screen printing, painting, powder coating; and wherein the clear coat layer may be processed by ultra violet (UV) curing, electron beam curing, oven heat, a radiation curing method; and
(b) wherein each one of said first and second hard top coat layer includes a nano-particle layer formed from any of the following: silicon particles, ceramics, any hard, electrically non-conductive, materials, or any hard particles; and wherein the top coat layer may be applied by atomizing, spraying, painting, roll coating, screen printing, or thermal transfer; and wherein the top coat layer may be processed by conventional automotive type spray guns, brushes, screen printing equipment, or roll lami

Assignees

• Herslow John
• Composecure Llc

Inventors

• Herslow John

Classifications

• B32B2311/00

  Metals, their alloys or their compounds · CPC title

• B32B2037/243

  Coating · CPC title

• B32B2307/206

  Insulating · CPC title

• B32B38/06

  Embossing · CPC title

• Y10T156/10

  Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor · CPC title