Process for manufacture of tamper-resistant polyester credit cards

• US 4,522,670 A
• Filed: 04/04/1983
• Issued: 06/11/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hoechst Diafoil Company
• Original Assignee: American Hoechst Corporation (Sanofi )
• Inventors: Caines, R. Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Kimlin, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Falasco, L.
• Application Number:
  US06/482,089
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 283/904, 283/85, 283/91, 283/90, 283/94, 283/110, 40/154, 40/616, 40/360, 40/2.2, 40/625, 264/509, 264/132, 264/288.4, 264/346, 264/285, 264/291, 264/292, 264/327, 156/220, 156/219, 156/229, 156/277, 156/212, 156/222, 156/221, 156/269, 156/270, 156/311, 428/916, 428/915, 427/7, 427/148, 427/384, 427/385.5
• US Class Current: 156/220
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/4026 within the layer by addition of a colorant, e.g. pigments, dyes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/41 Opaque
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/518 bi-axially
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/702 Amorphous
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/704 Crystalline
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2309/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2309/105 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2367/00 Polyesters, e.g. PET, i.e. polyethylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2425/00 Cards, e.g. identity cards, credit cards
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/20 using fillers, pigments, thixotroping agents
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/36 comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/08 characterised by the cooling method
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/04 Punching, slitting or perforating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/06 Embossing
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/12 using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/08 Opaque material
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/14 Photosensitive material
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/20 Coloured material; Pigments or inks
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/30 Plastic material
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/08 : Alphanumerical data
• 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 25/20 : characterised by a particular use or purpose
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/23 : Identity cards
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/324 : Reliefs
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/405 : Marking
• 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 25/47 : using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/904 : Credit card
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/916 : Fraud or tamper detecting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1039 : Surface deformation only of sandwich or lamina [e.g., embossed panels]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1041 : Subsequent to lamination
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1044 : of parallel stacked sheets only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1084 : of continuous or running length bonded web

Abstract

The present invention relates to a credit card or identification card fabricated from amorphous polyester sheet material wherein at least the area of said card containing embossed numerical or letter characters and the characters themselves are composed of substantially crystalline polyester. Such characters can not readily be altered by either heat treatment or by shaving them off.

Claims

1. A method of preparing a credit or identification card comprising:

(a) providing a supply of substantially amorphous polyester sheet material;

(b) embossing a surface of said sheet material under pressure with numerical and/or letter characters;

(c) holding said sheet material under restraint while heating said sheet material to a temperature and for a time sufficient to substantially crystallize at least the embossed portion of said amorphous polyester sheet; and

(d) cooling said sheet material.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said amorphous polyester is polyethylene terephthalate.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said heating temperature is within the range of about 90°

C. to about 240°

C.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said sheet has a thickness within the range of about 5 to 40 mils.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said sheet material is cut into a size suitable for use as a credit card before or after said embossing step.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said sheet material contains an opaque filler or colorant.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said polyester sheet material is amorphous polyethylene terephthalate.

7. A method of preparing a credit or identification card comprising:

(a) providing a supply of substantially amorphous polyester sheet material;

(b) providing a supply of overlay film;

(c) laminating said overlay film to one or both sides of said sheet material under heat and pressure insufficient to substantially crystallize said amorphous polyester sheet to provide a composite sheet;

(d) embossing a portion of a surface of said composite sheet under pressure with numerical and/or letter characters;

(e) holding said composite sheet under restraint while heating said composite sheet to a temperature and for a time sufficient to substantially crystallize at least the embossed portion of said amorphous polyester sheet; and

(f) cooling said sheet material.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said overlay film is biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate.

10. The method of claim 9 including the step of interposing an adhesive layer between said amorphous sheet and said overlay film prior to lamination.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said adhesive layer comprises a water dispersible copolyester having at least one free functional acid group in the polymer chain.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said crystallizing temperature is within the range of about 90°

C. to about 240°

C.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said crystallizing temperature is about 125°

C.

14. The method of claim 9 including the step of cutting said composite sheet material into a size suitable for use as credit card before or after said embossing step.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said amorphous sheet material has a thickness in the range of about 5 to 40 mils, and said overlay film has a thickness in the range of about 0.25 to about 2 mils.