Combined medical and/or informational identification credit card

• US 4,318,554 A
• Filed: 09/10/1979
• Issued: 03/09/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microseal Corporation
• Original Assignee: Microseal Corporation
• Inventors: Anderson, Thomas P., Bramley, Richard G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, Paul A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, John S.
• Application Number:
  US06/074,249
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 283/7, 283/6, 40/2.2, 40/158, 156/290
• US Class Current: 283/76
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/04 Transparent material
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/40 with a foldable or removable part
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/06 Picture of the user
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/08 Alphanumerical data
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/44 Miniaturised markings
• 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 25/28 for use in medical treatment or therapy
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/309 Photographs
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/324 Reliefs
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/425 by deformation, e.g. embossing
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/455 using heat
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/46 using pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/485 by electronic processing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/90 Medical record

Abstract

A medical and/or informational identification credit card has multiple laminar parts partially heat-sealed in a localized area to permit high speed embossment in automatic equipment, whereupon a customized informational part, such as a microfilm chip or photograph, matched to the embossed identification on the partially laminated card may be inserted and locked in place by a full lamination of the card.

Claims

1. A combined information and credit card unit comprising:

a plurality of laminar parts made of heat-fusible plastic, said parts being selectively partially heat-fused along an area of discrete size to form a pre-laminated half and said parts being unattached along the remaining area to form an unbonded half,

machine-imprinted indicia formed in the pre-laminated half of the card unit from a computer memory that originated such indicia, and

a window formed along the remaining area in a laminar core to receive an information member inserted in said window, so that said unbonded half parts can be fused a substantial time after said pre-laminated half is formed to make the card unit into an integral unitary laminar whole.

2. The card as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said information member consists of a microfilm chip.

3. The card as defined in claim 1 wherein:

there are three laminar parts.

4. For use in a medical institution, a three-part card made of heat-sealable plastic and having a pre-laminated half adapted to receive directly imprinted thereon computer-generated and correctable numbers,

said three-part card including a core member having a window formed therein adapted to receive an informational part, said window being formed in that area of said card not part of said prelaminated half,

whereby the card unit can thereafter be completed by heat sealing into an integral unitary laminar whole.

5. A combined information and credit card comprising:

at least two laminar parts made of heat-fusible plastic and a laminar core element,

a portion of said plastic parts being heat-fused onto said core element over a localized area of discrete size to form a pre-laminated half of a card unit for receiving indicia machine imprinted directly thereon and said core element having a window for receiving an information member inserted therein, said window being formed in that area of said core element not part of said pre-laminated half of said card unit.

6. The card as defined in claim 5 wherein:

said pre-laminated half of the card unit has embossments formed therein corresponding to machine-imprinted indicia.

7. The card as defined in claim 6 wherein:

the machine imprinting said indicia is computer-operated.

8. The card as defined in claim 5 wherein:

said information member is a microfilm chip.

9. For use in a medical institution, a three-part card made of heat sealable plastic and prescribing a generally rectangular body of wallet-sized configuration with the length of the card disposed symmetrically relative to a center axis,

said three-part card including a central core laminate, a top laminate and a bottom laminate sandwiching said central core laminate therebetween, each of said three parts being sheet form members and having a discrete portion of the card on one side of the center axis partially integrally prelaminated,

said central core laminate having a window cut-out formed in a portion thereof spaced on the opposite side of the center axis and the adjoining top and bottom laminate portions constituting initially discrete separate parts,

a customized informational part inserted and received in said window,

and heat bonds adapted to join said initially discrete separate parts into an integrated unitary card.

10. The invention of claim 9 and further characterized by said customized informational part comprising a microfilm chip,

and said prelaminated portion of said card being embossed to form a pressure-resistant type font.

11. The invention of claim 9 and further characterized by said customized informational part comprising a photograph,

and said prelaminated portion being embossed to form printing characters.