FLEXIBLE HINGE MATERIAL COMPRISING CROSS-LINKED POLYURETHANE MATERIAL

• US 20140265295A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales DIS France SAS (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Rhyner, Steven J., Haas, Christopher K., Jones, Todd D., Chen-Ho, Kui, Hunt, Krystal K., Marx, Ryan E.
• Granted Patent: US 10,406,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 281/38
• CPC Class Codes: B42C 9/0043 manually bookbinding presses B42C13/003
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 13/00 Loose leaves modified for binding; Inserts loose leaves modified for temporary attachment B42F3/00; indexing features B42F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/00 Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof printing processes to produce identification or security features B41M3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/24 Passports
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/305 Associated digital information record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/324 Reliefs
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/328 Diffraction gratings; Holograms
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/337 Guilloche patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/351 Translucent or partly translucent parts, e.g. windows
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/355 Security threads
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/36 comprising special materials
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/378 Special inks
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/382 absorbing or reflecting infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/387 absorbing or reflecting ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/391 absorbing or reflecting polarised light
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/41 using electromagnetic radiation B42D25/435 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/455 using heat
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/46 using pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/465 using chemicals or adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/47 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/0895 : Manufacture of polymers by continuous processes C08G18/0838 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/42 : Polycondensates having carboxylic or carbonic ester groups in the main chain
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4277 : Caprolactone and/or substituted caprolactone
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4854 : Polyethers containing oxyalkylene groups having four carbon atoms in the alkylene group
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/664 : with compounds of group C08G18/3203
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/6674 : with compounds of group C08G18/3203
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/73 : acyclic
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/758 : containing two or more cycloaliphatic rings
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/792 : formed by oligomerisation of aliphatic and/or cycloaliphatic isocyanates or isothiocyanates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 : Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

An article may include a biodata page defining a perimeter including an edge and a hinge layer attached to at least a portion of the biodata page. The hinge layer comprises a cross-linked polyurethane. In some examples, the hinge layer may include a cross-linked thermoset polyurethane.

Claims

1. An article comprising:

a biodata page defining a perimeter including an edge; and

a hinge layer attached to at least a portion of the biodata page, wherein the hinge layer comprises a cross-linked polyurethane, and wherein a portion of the hinge layer extends beyond the edge to form a flexible hinge.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein the hinge layer comprises cross-linked thermoset elastomeric polyurethane.

3. The article of claim 1, wherein the hinge layer is attached to the biodata page substantially throughout the area defined within the perimeter.

4. The article of claim 1, wherein the biodata page includes a first polymer layer defining a first perimeter including a first edge and a second polymer layer defining a second perimeter including a second edge, wherein the hinge layer is attached between at least a portion of the first polymer layer and at least a portion of the second polymer layer, and wherein the portion of the hinge layer extends beyond the first edge and the second edge to form the flexible hinge.

5. The article of claim 4, wherein the first perimeter and the second perimeter are substantially aligned, and wherein the first edge and the second edge are substantially aligned.

6. The article of claim 5, wherein the hinge layer is attached to the first layer substantially throughout the area defined within the first perimeter, and wherein the hinge layer is laminated to the second layer substantially throughout the area defined within the second perimeter.

7. The article of claim 4, further comprising a third polymer layer attached to the first polymer layer and a fourth polymer layer attached to the second polymer layer.

8. The article of claim 1, wherein biodata page comprises a polycarbonate.

9. The article of claim 1, wherein biodata page comprises a laser engravable material.

10. The article of claim 9, wherein the biodata page comprises a laser engravable polycarbonate.

11. The article of claim 1, wherein the hinge layer further comprises a woven or nonwoven material substantially fully encapsulated within the cross-linked polyurethane.

12. The article page of claim 1, wherein the hinge layer is laminated to the biodata page.

13. The article of claim 1, wherein the biodata page further comprising personal information associated with a holder of the article.

14. The article of claim 1, further comprising a passport booklet, wherein the biodata page is attached to the passport booklet using the flexible hinge.

15. The article of claim 1, further comprising at least one security feature.

16. The article of claim 15, wherein the at least one security feature comprises at least one of a hologram, color printing within the biodata page, an RFID chip, one or more fluorescent dyes, one or more taggants, one or more surface structures, one or more embedded structures, one or more polarizing structures, a clear-to-cyan film, a security thread, guilloche printing, and color-shifting ink printing.

17. The article of claim 16, wherein the hinge layer comprises the at least one security feature.

18. The article of claim 16, wherein the biodata page comprises the at least one security feature.

19. The article of claim 1, wherein the hinge layer is substantially transparent.

20. The article of claim 1, wherein the hinge layer is substantially colorless.

21. The article of claim 1, wherein the biodata page comprises a transparent window and a security feature, wherein the security feature is visible through the transparent window.

22. A method comprising:

forming a hinge layer comprising a cross-linked polyurethane;

assembling the hinge layer with a biodata page, wherein the biodata page defines a perimeter including an edge, wherein a first portion of the hinge layer is positioned contacting the biodata page, and wherein a second portion of the hinge layer extends beyond the edge; and

attaching the first portion of the hinge layer to the biodata page.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein attaching the first portion of the hinge layer to the biodata page comprises laminating the first portion of the hinge layer to the biodata page.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein assembling the hinge layer with a biodata page comprises:

assembling the hinge layer between a first polymer layer and a second polymer layer, wherein the first polymer layer defines a first perimeter and a first edge, wherein the second polymer layer defines a second perimeter and a second edge, wherein the first portion of the hinge layer is positioned contacting the first polymer layer and the second polymer layer, and wherein the second portion of the hinge layer extends beyond the first edge and the second edge, and

wherein attaching the first portion of the hinge layer to the biodata page comprises;

attaching the first portion of the hinge layer to the first polymer layer and the second polymer layer.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the first portion of the hinge layer extends substantially along the surface area of the first polymer layer defined within the first perimeter and extends substantially along the surface area of the second polymer layer defined within the second perimeter.