Transaction instrument containing metal inclusions

• US 10,482,365 B1
• Filed: 11/21/2017
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Original Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Inventors: Kushner, Kristine Ing, Vittimberga, Paul, Wright, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Seung H
• Application Number:
  US15/819,098
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/02 characterised by the selection of materials, e.g. to avoid wear during transport through the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06196 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 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 Class Codes: G06K 19/07722 the record carrier being multilayered, e.g. laminated sheets flat articles in general, see B32B37/00

Abstract

A transaction instrument comprises a plastic and one or more metal inclusions embedded or encased in the plastic. The one or more metal inclusions are in a non-particle form and is selected from the group consisting of a bit, a piece, a strand, a strip, a mesh, a web, and a combination thereof. The metal inclusion is comprised of a metal selected from the group consisting of tungsten, silver, zinc, bismuth, molybdenum, iron, steel, tin, copper, titanium, or a combination thereof.

Claims

1. A transaction instrument comprising:

a plastic, and

a metal inclusion embedded or encased in the plastic,

wherein the metal inclusion is in a non-particle form and is selected from the group consisting of a bit, a piece, a strand, a strip, a mesh, a web, and a combination thereof,

wherein the transaction instrument is associated with a financial account and includes at least one financial transaction component, wherein the at least one financial transaction component comprises one or more of a Europay-Mastercard-Visa (EMV) chip or a contactless antenna chip including data representing the financial account, and

wherein the metal inclusion responds to an electromagnetic signal received from an external computing device to read the data representing the financial account from the at least one financial transaction component.

2. The transaction instrument of claim 1, wherein the metal inclusion is in a geometric shape or design.

3. The transaction instrument of claim 1, wherein the metal inclusion has a thickness capable of being cut by a shredder or a card cutting die.

4. The transaction instrument of claim 1, wherein the wherein the metal inclusion has a size on an order of magnitude greater than a micron.

5. The transaction instrument of claim 1, wherein the metal inclusion is greater in size than 10 microns.

6. The transaction instrument of claim 1, wherein the metal inclusion has a size in a range of millimeters.

7. The transaction instrument of claim 1, wherein the transaction instrument comprises a card body having at least one layer of plastic having the metal inclusion embedded or encased in the plastic.

8. The transaction instrument of claim 1, wherein the metal inclusion is at or near an outer surface of the transaction instrument.

9. The transaction instrument of claim 1, wherein the metal inclusion comprises a security feature.

10. The transaction instrument of claim 1, wherein the metal inclusion has a shape or is in a pattern that responds to the electromagnetic signal.

11. The transaction instrument of claim 1, wherein the metal inclusion has a higher specific gravity than the plastic.

12. The transaction instrument of claim 1, wherein the metal inclusion is one of a plurality of metal inclusions in the plastic.

13. The transaction instrument of claim 12, wherein the plurality of metal inclusions are evenly distributed throughout the plastic.

14. The transaction instrument of claim 12, wherein the plurality of metal inclusions comprise not less than 40% and not more than 95% of total blended composite weight of the plastic and the metal inclusions.

15. The transaction instrument of claim 12, wherein the plurality of metal inclusions has a volume comprising not less than 5% and not more than 60% of total blended composite volume of the plastic and the metal inclusions.

16. The transaction instrument of claim 1, wherein the transaction instrument is in a form of a card having a total weight of not less than 10 grams and not more than 30 grams.

17. The transaction instrument of claim 1, wherein the metal inclusion comprises or is comprised of a conductive metal with a relatively low neurotoxicity as compared to lead, mercury, or cadmium.

18. The transaction instrument of claim 1, wherein the metal inclusion is comprised of a metal or a metal-containing component selected from the group consisting of tungsten, silver, zinc, bismuth, molybdenum, iron, steel, tin, copper, titanium, titanium dioxide, calcium carbonate, barium sulfate, nickel, aluminum, and a combination thereof.

19. The transaction instrument of claim 1, wherein the plastic is selected from a group consisting of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinyl chloride acetate (PVCA), oriented polyester, polyethylene terephthalate, biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polylactic acid (PLA), polylactic acid-polyglycolic acid (PLA-PGA), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), starch, cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, chitin, chitin and cellulose composite, chitosan, protein based bioceramic, and a combination thereof.

20. The transaction instrument of claim 1, wherein the plastic is optically transparent, in whole or in part.

21. The transaction instrument of claim 20, wherein the optically transparent plastic is opaque to some or all light outside of the visible spectrum.

22. The transaction instrument of claim 20, wherein the optically transparent plastic is opaque to ultraviolet light.

23. The transaction instrument of claim 1, where the transaction instrument is in a form selected from the group consisting of a fob, ring, watch, wrist band, bracelet, charm, other jewelry, pen, pointer device, stylus, and a combination thereof.

24. A transaction card having a card body with one or more layers, the transaction card comprising:

a plastic layer of the card body,

an area containing one or more metal inclusions embedded or encased in the plastic layer, and

an antenna surrounding the area containing the one or more metal inclusions,

wherein the metal inclusion is in a non-particle form selected from the group consisting of a bit, a piece, a strand, a strip, a mesh, a web, and a combination thereof,

wherein the metal inclusion is comprised of a metal selected from the group consisting of tungsten, silver, zinc, bismuth, molybdenum, iron, steel, tin, copper, titanium, and a combination thereof,

wherein the transaction instrument is associated with a financial account and includes at least one financial transaction component, wherein the at least one financial transaction component comprises one or more of a Europay-Mastercard-Visa (EMV) chip or a contactless antenna chip including data representing the financial account, and

wherein the metal inclusion responds to an electromagnetic signal received from an external computing device to read the data representing the financial account from the at least one financial transaction component via the antenna.

25. A transaction instrument comprising:

a plastic,

one or more metal inclusions embedded or encased in the plastic, the metal inclusions comprised of a metal selected from the group consisting of tungsten, silver, zinc, bismuth, molybdenum, iron, steel, tin, copper, titanium, and a combination thereof, and

an antenna surrounding the one or more metal inclusions,

wherein the one or more metal inclusions are in a non-particle form selected from the group consisting of a bit, a piece, a strand, a strip, a mesh, a web, and a combination thereof,

wherein the transaction instrument is in a form of a torus or a circle and the antenna is embedded concentrically within the torus or circle,

wherein the transaction instrument is associated with a financial account and includes at least one financial transaction component, wherein the at least one financial transaction component comprises one or more of a Europay-Mastercard-Visa (EMV) chip or a contactless antenna chip including data representing the financial account, and

wherein the metal inclusion responds to an electromagnetic signal received from an external computing device to read the data representing the financial account from the at least one financial transaction component via the antenna.