Identification card and method of making same

• US 5,380,044 A
• Filed: 04/16/1992
• Issued: 01/10/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: K & A Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: K&F Industries
• Inventors: Aitkens, Robert K., Gloser, Paul F., Keelty, George F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, Paul A.
• Application Number:
  US07/869,731
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 283/109, 283/904, 283/67, 283/69, 283/70
• US Class Current: 156/277
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/30 Plastic material
• 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 25/23 Identity cards
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/309 Photographs
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/318 Signatures
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/45 Associating two or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/48 Controlling the manufacturing process
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/904 Credit card

Abstract

The present invention is a card for displaying information and a method for making the same. The present invention includes printing the desired information in reverse onto a transparent piece of silicon coated vinyl. The vinyl is then fused to a plastic substrate sealing the printed ink between the vinyl and the plastic substrate and allowing the ink to leach into, and permanently mark, the plastic substrate.

Claims

1. A method of creating a card for displaying information comprising the steps of:

printing information with a printing agent on a first side of at least one transparent vinyl laminate; and

fusing said first side of said at least one transparent vinyl laminate to a plastic substrate, wherein said printing agent becomes encapsulated between said at least one transparent vinyl laminate and said plastic substrate;

wherein said printing agent is printed on said at least one transparent vinyl laminate at a density that is less dense than a desired density and said printing agent spreads to said desired density as said at least one transparent vinyl laminate is fused substrate.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the information printed on said at least one transparent vinyl laminate includes at least one image of an individual and wherein said step of printing further includes the steps of:

electronically obtaining said image of said individual using a video camera device;

saving said image in a central processing unit; and

downloading said image from said central processing unit to a printer wherein said printer reproduces said image on said first side of said at least one transparent vinyl laminate.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein said step of electronically obtaining said image of an individual includes:

lighting a background screen with a first lighting source;

viewing said background screen with said video camera thereby creating a background screen image that is saved in said central processing unit;

placing said individual in front of said background screen;

lighting said individual with a second lighting source less bright than said first lighting source such that said background screen is brighter than said individual;

comparing the viewed image of said individual in from of said background screen to said background screen image, creating a silhouette map of said individual; and

defining the data contained within said silhouette map, in said central processing unit, as said image of said individual.

4. The method according to claim 2 wherein the information printed on said at least one transparent vinyl laminate includes text regarding said individual and wherein said step of printing further includes the steps of entering said text into said central processing unit and downloading said text from said central processing unit to said printer.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the information printed on said at least one transparent vinyl laminate includes a signature from said individual and wherein said step of printing further includes the steps of entering said signature into said central processing unit using an electronic writing means and downloading said signature from said central processing unit to said printer.

6. The method according to claim 1 further including the step of coating said at least one transparent plastic vinyl laminate with silicon prior to said step of printing.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of fusing includes heating said at least one transparent vinyl laminate and said plastic substrate and compressing said plastic substrate against said first side of said at least one transparent member at a given temperature until fusion occurs.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein said information is printed on said first side of said at least one transparent vinyl laminate in thermal sensitive ink, and

said step of fusing further includes heating said ink causing said ink to leach into said plastic substrate, thereby marking said plastic substrate.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein said step of fusing further includes:

heating said at least one transparent vinyl laminate and said plastic substrate to a predetermined temperature below that of the melting point of said at least one transparent vinyl laminate;

applying pressure to said at least one transparent vinyl laminate and said plastic substrate to remove any air from therebetween;

increasing the temperature and pressure to a gel point just below the melting points of said at least one transparent vinyl laminate and said plastic substrate such that said at least one transparent vinyl laminate fuses to said plastic substrate;

decreasing the temperature to below said gel point of said at least one transparent vinyl laminate and said plastic substrate such that the material of said transparent vinyl laminate and said plastic substrate set; and

decreasing the pressure compressing said at least one transparent vinyl laminate and said plastic substrate to ambient.